Your Life Could End Up Changing
by TheWickedWitchOfOz
Summary: How would their lives have changed if Elphaba hadn't left Shiz so soon? AU. Musicalverse. Main pairing will eventually be Elphaba/Fiyero. New readers please note publication date for chapters 1 - 13 is April 2006 to January 2007.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life could end up changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Pairings:** When I know you'll know.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba **_didn't_** get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note: **The first chapter is only my interpretation of the classroom scene leading up to the song. The alternate ending events begin in chapter two.

Chapter One 

Elphaba stood in the History classroom; she dressed in an outfit that Galinda had talked her into wearing and trying to flip her hair when she noticed Fiyero Tiggular looking at her.

_What does **he** want?_ She wondered as she blushed, though it wasn't noticeable, put her hands on her hips and said:

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just... you've been "Galinda-fied". You don't have to do that, you know?"

_Well what would he know? I heard him when I went into the ballroom; he's just like everyone else!_

She was about to reply sarcastically when Doctor Dillamond entered the classroom.

"All right, take your seats class!"

She sat in the back row and, with a quick glance at Fiyero who was now ignoring her, removed the bright pink flower from her hair as Doctor Dillamond continued talking.

"I have something to say, and very little time to say it. This is my last day here at Shiz I am no longer permitted to teach."

"What?" exclaimed Elphaba, standing up in shock. _How can he be leaving? 'Not permitted to teach', just like that!_

"Please Miss Elphaba." The Goat said wearily then continued. "I want to thank you for your sharing your enthusiasm, your essays, no matter how feebly structured, and even, on occasion, your lunch."

_This is wrong! Why isn't anyone doing something? How can Madame Morrible permit this?_

At that very moment Madame Morrible rushed into the room and addressed the Professor.

"Doctor Dillamond! I'm so dreadfully sorry."

_Surely she can do something!_

"Madame. You can't permit this!" Protested Elphaba loudly.

"Miss Elphaba, don't worry about me." said the Goat in a reassuring tone. "They can take away my job, but I _shall_ continue speaking out."

Two strange men in long coats entered the room and grabbed the Goat to lead him away.

"Come on, goat..."

"They are not telling you the whole story! Remember that, class!"

"Doctor Dillamond!" shouted Elphaba, but she was the only one who made any kind of protest. She looked at Madame Morrible who seemed to be doing nothing about it, and in fact looked like she was entirely unconcerned.

Surely if we all do something…but no one is, they're all just sitting there! 

She looked around the class in disgust and verbalised her thoughts.

"Well, are we all just going to sit here? In silence?"

"I'm afraid, there is nothing else we can do, my dear." Said Madame Morrible in what was intended to be a soothing tone. " Please, please, take your seat."

By the time the fuming green girl sat down a new Professor had entered the room with a wheeled table and begun speaking.

"Good afternoon, students! More and more every day, with every tick of the Time Dragon Clock, in every corner of our great Oz, one hears the silence of progress. For example: this is called a cage!"

He pulled the cloth off the 'cage' to reveal a lion cub, causing the class to gasp in surprise.

_A 'cage'? It looks like a metal box, the poor baby he looks far too young to be away from his mother…he must be a Lion, there are no wild lions near Shiz! How can Madame let him bring a helpless baby Animal in here!_

"Now, we will be seeing more and more of them in the near future. This remarkable innovation is actually…"

He tapped the cage in two different places with a pair of tongs or the like.

"…For the Animal's own good..."

The Lion cub was trembling and cringing away from the man.

"Hey!" yelled Elphaba, standing up in outrage. "If it's for his own good, why is he trembling?"

"He's excited to be here, that's all."

Elphaba started to turn to her seat when he hit the cage again, she winced and wanted to protest again but she couldn't think of anything else to say so she returned to her seat.

"Now, as I was saying, one of the benefits of caging a Lion cub this young is that he will never, in fact, learn how to speak."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Elphaba, turning for some reason, to face Fiyero.

"That's right! Come closer!"

_This is dreadful - he can't be serious!_

Everyone in the class, except Fiyero and Elphaba, went to look at the cage. The pair of them stood up and Elphaba exclaimed:

"Can you imagine a world where Animals are kept in cages? And they never speak?"

She rolled her eyes as Fiyero shrugged indifferently.

"Now, he may seem a bit agitated." Said the man in the background.

"What should we do?" said Elphaba urgently, speaking more to herself than Fiyero.

"_We_?" repeated Fiyero staring at her in bemused amazement.

_Why doesn't he care? _She wondered, getting angrier and angrier. _Why doesn't anyone care?_

"Well, somebody has to..." she turned around to face the class and shouted. " Do something!"

She felt an uncontrollable surge of the power she had been trying so hard to learn how to restrain over the past months at Shiz then sparks flew through the air and the people, except Elphaba and Fiyero, began moving around uncontrollably as if they were dancing.

"What's happening?" demanded Fiyero.

"I don't know!" replied Elphaba. "I got mad...and..." she threw her arms up in the air and the people started moving again.

"Uhh…all right just don't move!" he half shouted, holding his hands out in front of him. "And don't get mad at me!"

_I **am **mad at him, why didn't the spell affect him as well?_

Elphaba watched, frozen in shock by what she had done and his actions, as he ran and grabbed the cage then yelled out to her as he ran past, towards the door.

"Well are you coming?"

Shaken out of her retrospection Elphaba ran out of the classroom with him then led the way through the back passages of the university to the back door and then a large green area under a bridge in Shiz City.

"Careful!" she scolded Fiyero because it was the only thing she could think of to say.

"What?"

"Don't shake him!"

"I'm not!" protested Fiyero as she took the cage from him and put it on the ground.

_What am I doing? _She wondered in the privacy of her mind as she continued to lecture the Prince.

"We can't just let him loose anywhere, you know. We have to find someplace safe..."

"I realise that. You think I am really stupid don't you?" he exclaimed, gesturing towards her with one hand, Elphaba made a dismissive gesture as she looked around for somewhere to take the cub and said _exactly _what she was thinking.

"No, not _really_ stupid."

"Why is it that every time I see you you're causing some sort of commotion?" He emphasised his point by wiggling his fingers at her.

_What the whole _one _time he's seen me before today?_

"I don't cause commotions!" protested Elphaba, walking towards him frowning. "I am one!"

"That's for sure."

Why the nerve of this…this stupid man! 

"Oh! So you think I should just keep my mouth shut! Is that what you're saying?"

"No, I'm saying…"

"Do you think I _want_ to be this way? Do you think I want to care _this_ much? Do you think I don't know…"

"All I meant was…"

"…how much _easier_ my life would be if I **didn't**?"

"Do you _ever_ let anyone else talk?"

"Oh, sorry..."

He opened his mouth to start talking and she interrupted.

"But can I just say one more thing?"

_Maybe I shouldn't point this out…but I want to know!_

She hesitated as he gestured for her to continue having realised he wasn't going to get a word in until she was done. She pointed back towards the university and said.

"You could have just walked away, back there."

"So?"

That's all he has to say? Ha! 

"So, no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you _pretend_ to be..."

"Excuse me, there's no pretence here. I happen to be _genuinely_ self-absorbed and _deeply_ shallow."

"No you're not..."

He shrugged at her rebuttal.

"…Or you wouldn't be so unhappy."

_Sweet Oz! What made me say that, I mean I noticed it but I didn't mean to say it!_

"Ha, all right, fine, you don't want my help..."

Fiyero started to walk away and, without thinking, Elphaba grabbed his hand to stop him.

"No, I do!"

Both of them stopped completely still when they realised what she was doing, Elphaba let go and quickly knelt down next to the Lion cub.

"His heart is pounding…I didn't mean to frighten him."

_Oh why can't I do anything right? I was trying to **help**!_

Fiyero knelt down next to her and asked a question that had been bothering him since it happened.

"What _did_ you mean to do? Why was I the only one you didn't do it to?"

_What can I say to **that**? _WonderedElphaba as she turned to answer him. She gasped when she saw a cut on his face.

"You're bleeding!"

"I am?"

She pointed to his face with an expression of genuine concern.

"It must have scratched you!" she told him, feeling guilty for getting him involved even though she knew, logically, that he had chosen to help her.

"Yeah... or maybe it scratched me...or something"

Elphaba leaned over and ran her hand over the cut carefully, Fiyero jerked his head away and stood up stammering.

"I'd better get to safety... I mean the cub..."

"Yes of course!"

_Look what you've done now, Elphaba, scared him away!_

"Get the cub to safety!"

He tried to walk to the cage and nearly crashed into Elphaba trying to get out of his way.

"Sorry." They both murmured apologies as she moved out of the way then he picked up the cage and left

"Fiyero!" She called his name just as he disappeared from sight.

_He didn't hear me…or he didn't want to. It hardly matters which it was, at least he was willing to help even if it was just because I intimidated him. Cursed magic why did it have to be today that something happened? I thought I was doing so well in my lessons and then this!_

Elphaba tried to distract herself with different thoughts; wondering where Fiyero would take the cub, what Madame Morrible would say when Elphaba got back, if she would even be allowed to study at Shiz any longer, what if Madame Morrible told her father what had happened, what would Nessa say when she found out what had happened while she wasn't in class, what Galinda was going to say – it seemed unlikely she would be interested in being friends anymore.

In the end it all boiled down to one thought, indirectly related to Fiyero:

_Why couldn't **I **be the beautiful one?_

She closed her eyes and remembered the way it felt when she held Fiyero's hand in hers, before he pulled away then she imagined him looking at her, not as the strange green girl, the way he looked at Galinda.

_**Hands touch, eyes meet,**_

_**Sudden silence, sudden heat,**_

_**Hearts leap in a giddy whirl.**_

_**He could be that boy,**_

_**But I'm not that girl.**_

Elphaba stared longingly in the direction Fiyero had gone, wondering briefly where he was taking the cub, and lamenting the fact that he had gone, gone back to his _friends_ and to Galinda.

She brushed an errant strand of hair out of her face and found herself imagining that it was Fiyero's warm hand brushing over her cool skin. She shivered involuntarily then dropped her hand to her side she couldn't, she _wouldn't_, allow herself that…not even in the privacy of her mind.

_You're dreaming, anyway, you stupid girl! Look at the way he reacted when you just touched his face for a moment. How can you imagine that he would **want** to touch you?_

_**Don't dream too far,**_

_**Don't lose sight of who you are.**_

Who am I? The daughter of the current Governor of Munchkinland, the sister of the future Governor. An outcast, an aberration, a **freak**! She made herself look at her hands, her bright green skin, the thing that set her so far apart everyone else. He deserves better than this. He deserves **her**! 

_**Don't remember that rush of joy.**_

_**He could be that boy,**_

_**I'm not that girl.**_

_**Every so often we long to steal,**_

_**To the land of what-might-have-been.**_

_**But that doesn't soften the ache we feel,**_

_**When reality sets back in.**_

If only she'd been born normal, a Governor's daughter would hold the same rank as a Prince if she were in line to inherit the position. If only her father could have seen past her differences and treated her as he would any other firstborn child instead of making her an outcast in her own family. If only Fiyero was someone who could love her, if only _anyone_ could love her! If only she was someone who could dare to even consider loving him.

Harsh reality pulled her back from that place. Reality: she was different, she would always be different, there was no way to change what she was, and she had to accept that.

_It's quite simple, really, you stupid girl. Galinda is perfect for him; he's perfect for her. They've found everything they want in each other and nothing you could do will change that so why try? After all you're you and Galinda is…Galinda is **beautiful**._

_**Blithe smile, lithe limb,**_

_**She who's winsome, she wins him.**_

_**Gold hair with a gentle curl,**_

_**That's the girl he chose.**_

_**And heaven knows,**_

_**I'm not that girl.**_

The sounds of footsteps on the bridge above her made her look up to see Fiyero and Galinda walking together.

_I didn't think I'd been here so long!_

She bolted under the bridge in the hope that _neither_ of them would see her. There was a dull boom of distant thunder and the sound of muffled words, Galinda trying to coax him into doing something perhaps?

Thinking the pair had moved on, she heard their footsteps heading n the opposite direction, Elphaba stepped out from under the bridge and looked up to see Fiyero staring straight back at her. Galinda obviously didn't look back or she would have called out to the girl and Fiyero said nothing as Galinda pulled him out of sight.

The earlier "If only's" filled her mind again and Elphaba found herself wiping away a trickle of moisture from her cheek before she even realised she was crying. The tears burned like fire in all her life she'd never cried over anything that hurt quite as much as having something she'd always know, but tried to ignore, so brutally reiterated to her.

_**Don't wish. Don't start.**_

_**Wishing only wounds the heart.**_

_**I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl.**_

_**There's a girl I know,**_

_**He loves her so.**_

_**I'm not that girl.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life could end up changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Pairings:** When I know you'll know.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba _**didn't**_ get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note: **Well here it is, chapter two (thanks to the 3 who reviewed/liked one!) This is the part where I hold my breath and hope you don't kill me (and there are going to be a few of those moments in this story methinks. I hope you will enjoy it!

**Chapter two**

After discovering that her umbrella was not in her bag, she recalled lending it to Nessa while her sister's was being repaired, Elphaba shielded herself as best she could with her bag and returned to the University through the light rain.

Madame Morrible was waiting for her outside the main gate and Elphaba winced silently as she got near enough for the Headmistress to address her.

"Miss Elphaba! There you are, come inside this instant, where have you been?"

"Please, Madame I can explain!"

"I have already seen what you did today! I was there after all. Really such a frivolous _waste _of your magic is inexcusable!"

"Please Madame you don't understand!"

"I am quite certain I _do_! Now I will let it pass this _once _but if I see, or hear of, you causing such disturberances again I shall be very disappointed and have no choice but to take severe disciplinary action! Do you _understand _Miss Elphaba?"

"Yes Madame." Replied Elphaba with a sigh. "It won't happen again."

"I most certainly hope not, I would hate to have to report this to your _father_. I will see you and Miss Upland in class this afternoon. Do try and persuade her to get her head out of the clouds before then."

"Yes Madame." Said Elphaba again, wondering how exactly she was supposed to do that.

_That was much less than I expected._ Thought Elphaba as she meekly followed Madame Morrible inside and waited while the Headmistress berated her, for the doorperson's benefit she was sure, about leaving the University without signing out properly.

To avoid having to talk to, or rather be avoided by, anyone who was in the class and everyone they had told – most of the school by now she was certain – Elphaba took the back passageways back to the suite she shared with Galinda. . As she approached she heard voices from the sitting room.

"The _whole _class?" exclaimed Galinda.

"That's right!"

Elphaba recognised one of the girls from the morning's class and cringed.

"Oh dear! Is everyone all right?"

"Yes but she _stole _a lion cub and ran off with _Fiyero_!"

"Fiyero?" shrieked Galinda. "What was he doing with her?"

"No ideas…we had a spell on us _remember_?"

"Oh of course…but why would she steal a lion cub?

"Who knows why _she_ does anything?"

"I hope she gets expelled for this!" chimed in another of the girls. "It shouldn't be allowed, letting people like _that _into a prestigious establishment like Shiz!"

"We know you're doing your best with her, Galinda, but she's rather a hopeless case!"

Elphaba continued to listen as Galinda agreed in a tragic tone that some people just didn't _want _to be helped. She nearly leapt out of her skin when she heard a male voice behind her.

"You know…eavesdropping is a very bad habit."

The green girl jumped then turned to see who it was. Fiyero, on his way to see Galinda, was surprised to see silent tears running down her face. She opened her mouth to say something then, hearing Galinda's friends approaching the door and taking their leave of her, bolted down the hallway and disappeared.

"Fiyero!" said Galinda in surprise when he knocked on her door. "Whatever are you doing up here?"

"Why I was looking for you of course!"

"Oh I…how lovely! I've just been hearing about your eventful morning. You "ran off" with my roommate?"

"Don't say it like that!" protested Fiyero. "I just helped her get the cub out of the classroom because I was worried she might do something worse than…well worse than whatever it was that she _did_. I hope she doesn't get into too much trouble what with her being your…"

He started to say 'friend' then amended it to

"…Roommate and all."

"Oh I hope so too, I wonder where she is, Madame Morrible is going to be furious! I heard she was in the class when it happened!"

"Yes she was. Would you like to go for a walk after lunch?"

"Oh I would _love _too but I have to prepare for sorcery class!"

"Right." Said Fiyero, kissing her hand. "I'll be in the rooftop gardens if you change your mind."

The weather was atrocious outside and the gardens were empty when Fiyero entered them after going back for his waterproof cloak. Or at least he thought they were empty until he turned a corner and saw the black outline of a feminine shape huddled under one of the eaves.

"Excuse me Miss, you should go inside before you catch cold."

"It's only rain…it isn't even touching me!"

The voice was muffled by the fact she was all hunched up but he was able to recognise the rather distinctive voice of Galinda's roommate whose name he recalled, to his embarrassment, he still hadn't learned.

"What are _you _doing up here?" he asked in surprise.

"I'm trying to wallow in miserable self-pity so, if you don't mind, I'd prefer to be left **_alone_**!"

Undeterred by her sarcasm he crouched down next to her and replied.

"You certainly _will _be miserable if you catch a cold from the rain."

"Go away!"

"I'm not leaving you alone in this weather."

"I'm not _in_ the weather, I'm near it and it's none of your business besides!"

"I'm here so it is my business." He disagreed. Elphaba finally looked at him albeit through a curtain of dark hair and scowled.

"Is there nowhere in this wretched place I can be **alone**?" she exclaimed then added more softly. "_Please_…. I just want to be left alone."

Her eyes were swollen and the whites were more red than normal, he looked at her face and realised that the wet marks weren't caused by rain, it was obvious now that she had been crying for a while and still was.

"Go on! Haven't you seen enough to amuse all of your friends with? I'm sure you can't _wait _to tell them all about today! You needn't worry about upsetting Galinda I can assure you she is in no hurry to leap to my defence…"

Her voice trailed off and she huddled back into her dark corner.

"Just leave me alone!" she demanded hoarsely. Fiyero shrugged and walked back to the garden door, leaving it propped open for her.

Galinda came looking for Fiyero in the one of the student common rooms. It was empty, except for him, that afternoon.

"I thought you had a class?" he said after they exchanged greetings, looking up from his letter in surprise.

"I did!" Madame Morrible is furious, Elphaba – my roommate- didn't show up for class and no one can find her _anywhere_!"

"Madame Morrible didn't punish her then?"

"No, she just said Elphaba must be 'sulking after the lecture she got' and that I shouldn't worry unless she doesn't turn up before dark. She is an adult after all."

"Barely an adult." Disagreed Fiyero, who thought Elphaba was only a year or so older than her sister whom he knew, rather vaguely, was seventeen. Galinda looked surprised at the comment.

"She's twenty two years old, I thought that qualified as an adult anywhere?"

"It does, I just thought she was younger than that. So you don't think she ran away then?"

"No…" said Galinda slowly. "She's not in our room but all of her things are still there."

"Madame is probably right then and she's just off in a sulk somewhere."

"That would be _just _like her." Agreed Galinda, smiling with relief. "Thank you for making me feel better."

"Anytime. How about we go out for dinner tonight?"

"Drat! I would love to but I already promised the girls we would have an evening together…I'll see if I can get out of it. Come by my room around seven and I'll let you know."

Fiyero entered Galinda's sitting room and knocked on the bedroom door at exactly seven o'clock.

"Galinda isn't here, go away!" shouted her roommate from the bedroom.

The door wasn't locked so Fiyero opened it instead of leaving, thinking that he would ask Miss Elphaba _where _Galinda was. She shrieked very loudly when she realised it wasn't one of Galinda's female friends and dove under her bedclothes. He was confused about the reason until he saw a pile of wet clothes on the floor.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to go into a woman's room without an invitation?" she exclaimed loudly. Fiyero hastily turned his back to her even though he hadn't seen anything and there was nothing to see but blankets.

"I'm sorry, the door wasn't locked, and I didn't realise…umm where is Galinda?"

"Do I _look _like her social secretary to you?" she responded sarcastically. "I only just got back and she was gone when I got here. She probably off giggling with her friends somewhere."

He couldn't help noticing an undertone of bitterness to the word 'friends'.

"Right, well, thank you and uhh I'm sorry about barging in on you. You should err probably get changed before you catch pneumonia. "

He was about to open the door when Galinda, fortunately alone, pulled the door open and ran in crashing into him.

"Fiyero! There you are, I'm late, I'm sorry, I left the sitting room door unlocked for you and…" her voice trailed off when she saw her roommate huddling under her bedclothes and a pile of wet garments on the floor.

"Elphaba? What in Oz name are you doing letting someone into our _bedroom_ with you in your underthings!"

"I didn't _let _him in, you ninny! I didn't lock the door behind me because I _thought _no one would come in here without an invitation!"

"I said I was sorry! Look Galinda it's my fault. Miss Elphaba told me to go away and I just wanted to find out where _you _were."

"Oh that is so sweet of you!" exclaimed Galinda while Elphaba made a gagging sound behind her back.

"Before you two start engaging in your courting rituals again do you think you could take it out there?" she asked them sarcastically.

Galinda blushed and Fiyero nodded then they removed themselves to the sitting room. Galinda apologised to Fiyero for her roommate's rudeness then went back into the bedroom, yanking the door shut behind her. The lock didn't quite catch and the door stayed open a fraction, enough for Fiyero to hear the conversation inside.

Elphaba knew Galinda well enough to deduce that she was going to come straight back into the room to mess around with her clothes and her hair, so she stayed under the covers of her bed.

"Elphaba Thropp!" said Galinda in a tone of voice that was not quite yelling but still painfully high pitched enough to make Elphaba flinch.

"What do you think you were doing? What if someone _else _had walked in on you? What would they think if they saw you and Fiyero like that!"

"Galinda…"

"And what were you doing this morning? Using magic on a whole class, a Professor, and _Madame Morrible? _Who is furious with you because you didn't turn up for sorcery class! I suppose you were off sulking somewhere, that's very selfish of you, Elphaba!"

"I'm selfish?" spluttered Elphaba.

"My first sorcery class was cancelled because of you!"

"I'm the only reason you're in that class!" Shouted Elphaba in reply. "Do you think Morrible would have asked you to join it if I hadn't threatened to leave?"

"Do you think I need _your _help to get what I want? Ha! And why do you think I'm trying to help you fit in? _Because _you got me into the class!"

"Oh yes you're doing a wonderful job of being my friend…if being a twofaced _shehala _is how you go about it in Gillikin!"

Galinda blanched when Elphaba used an old Gillikinese word that was considered a particularly vile epithet used specifically to describe women of the worst kind.

"Elphaba Thropp! Where ever did you learn that language! And what are you talking about?"

Elphaba had, by now, climbed out of bed and was standing there in her damp underthings. Her face took on a mocking expression as she imitated one of Galinda's earlier comments.

"Oh I do my best but some people just don't _want _to be helped!"

"Elphie I…."

"You should really make sure that the door is shut properly before you start talking about people behind their backs! And kindly do **_not_** refer to me with that ridiculous nickname, Miss Galinda Upland."

Disregarding further protests from Galinda, Elphaba pulled her damp clothes back on and stormed out of the suite completely ignoring Fiyero as she passed by him.

"Is everything all right?"

Fiyero called out to Galinda as if he had no idea that the women had just had a fight.

"Yes…yes," said Galinda. "She's just in one of her moods as usual! Give me ten minutes to change for dinner. Where are we going?"

"One of the fellows who lives in Shiz City told me about a nice little restaurant near the city centre. I made a reservation just in case you were free."

"How thoughtful of you!" gushed Galinda. "What should I wear?"

Fiyero grinned and settled down on the sofa while she disappeared back into the bedroom to get changed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life could end up changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Pairings:** When I know you'll know.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba _**didn't**_ get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note: **Thanks to Kennedy Leigh for all the helpful reviews!

**Chapter Three**

Elphaba stalked through the back hallways of Shiz glaring at any student who crossed her path. She went down to the university's huge kitchen and pulled one of the maids aside.

"Alsa."

"Miss Elphaba."

The maid curtseyed because, however odd looking the girl was, she was a Governor's daughter and a Shiz student.

"Can I help you with something miss?"

"I was wondering if anyone below stairs knows where Doctor Dillamond might have gone."

"We all heard about him having to leave of course- it's a new Law, something about Animals not teaching humans. Some strangers escorted him out of the university grounds and the doorman told us that he headed off into the city with his things. He probably went into the Animal quarter of Shiz City. I know he used to visit some other Animal professors there."

"Thank you Alsa." Said Elphaba, heading towards the door that led outside.

"You're not going out now? Miss Elphaba, it's pouring with rain! If you insist on going out please take a cloak at least."

"I haven't the time or the inclination to go back to my room, I'll be fine."

"Please take my cloak, and my gloves too if you like, I live in the worker's quarters here anyway and have no need of them tonight. With respect Miss, do you really want all of Shiz to know that you're in town? You are rather distinctive after all."

"Thank you Alsa, I'll take them if you are sure it is no trouble to you."

"No trouble at all, Miss Elphaba."

The maid fetched her cloak and gloves from the storeroom and handed them to the green girl. With the gloves on and the hood pulled over her face she looked like another anonymous student escaping the university for a few hours.

There were no guards on the gate from Shiz University to Shiz City and there wouldn't be until after the student curfew began. It Elphaba took nearly half an hour, following the back streets from a map she'd memorised weeks earlier, to cross the city and reach the Animal quarter. Despite the borrowed cloak Elphaba was soaked again by the time she reached the faded sign indicating that Animals lived beyond this point. She looked around carefully wondering where the best place to begin would be, the problem was solved for her when an extremely rude Cow shoved her into a side alley and she landed on top of a Lion.

"Watch it Human!" He snarled at her then stood up and tossed her from his back so that she landed, facedown, in a large muddy puddle.

"Watch it yourself, you overgrown fur coat!" replied Elphaba, heaving herself to her feet and coughing water everywhere. The Lion turned to roar at her and stopped when he saw her face, exposed by the rough landing. A Lion cub had been left outside the Animal quarter that morning and told them all how he was rescued by a green person and another one who had dropped him off.

"Forgive me, I thought you were one of those 'scientists' who steal our young and put them in cages."

"Certainly not sir! I assure you, I would never harm an Animal!"

"I am new here, are there many green humans in Shiz?"

Elphaba suddenly realised her hood had fallen down.

_Too late to pull it up now._

"No, sir, as far as anyone knows I am the only one in all of Oz."

"You rescued a cub from a classroom then?"

"Yes, sir, that was I and a…someone else."

"We are very grateful, I hope you didn't get into trouble for assisting us."

The conversation had taken on somewhat of a surreal quality…was she really standing in a dimly lit alley way, in pouring rain, having a polite discussion with a Lion?

"No, sir, the Headmistress was rather fond of me up until that incident though I don't think I'm her favourite person at the moment. I…I don't suppose you could do me a small favour?"

"I will do my best, what is it?"

"I'm looking for a Goat professor named Doctor Dillamond…the last anyone knew of him he was coming into Shiz City and someone else suggested he might come here but I haven't the first idea where to look."

"Dillamond…hmm…Dillamond…the name is familiar-he was fired recently, yes? After they passed the new Teaching Laws?"

"That's correct, sir."

"There's an old Badger who lives on the main street, the blue house. Tell him Edest sent you and what you want to know. He's an old friend of the Professor, I recall Badger introducing me to Dillamond once."

"Thank you very much sir." Said Elphaba, making her way back to the main street after pulling her hood up again. The Badger's house was very easy to find and she knocked on the door then huddled under the veranda while she waited for a response.

"Go away, I'm not having visitors tonight, come back in the morning."

"If you please, Master Badger." She had to shout to hear herself above the driving rain. "Master Edest the Lion sent me."

"That's not an Animal voice! Why would Edest send a Human here?"

The Badger pushed his door open and peered at the figure huddled on his doorstep.

"What business does a Human have in this quarter after dark? Nothing good I'd wager."

"If you please, sir, Master Edest said you might be able to help me find a friend, Doctor Dillamond from Shiz University."

"I don't know any Dillamond, Miss, and _you _had better get out of this quarter before it gets too much darker."

"The Lion owed me a favour, why would he repay me by lying?"

"Why should he keep his word if you are telling the truth to me that is? What possible reason could a Lion have to trust a human?"

"Fine!" replied Elphaba with an annoyed sigh. "Next time you _don't _see Doctor Dillamond tell him Miss Elphaba wishes him well and would like to hear from him."

"How do I even know that you are who you say you are? Anyone could be bundled up under that cloak!"

"Really? I suppose that is true, very well, look closely."

Elphaba drew back her hood so that her face was visible to him but not anyone passing along the street.

"A distinguishing enough feature to describe, I'm certain." She said drawing the hood back over her face.

"To put it mildly!" agreed the Badger. "Wait here…I need to speak to someone…and it is not Doctor Dillamond!"

"As you like, sir, thank you."

As the Badger re-entered the house the door swung shut behind him and Elphaba quickly put the toe of her boot in the door to stop it from shutting entirely. The voices were muffled and the sentences broken but she could make out enough to tell what they were saying.

"Who was…the door?"

"Someone … for….illamond."

"Right now?"

"Outside my…or. A woman…to know…mond. A… phaba."

"Elphaba?…she green?"

"That's it…you know her?"

Elphaba couldn't hear the answer because she heard footsteps and quickly let the door click shut then leaned back under the eaves.

"Come inside." Said the Badger gruffly as he shoved the door open for her.

Elphaba nodded and followed the Badger into the house, feeling slightly nervous as he latched the door behind her. She was reassured when she head Doctor Dillamond's familiar voice saying her name.

"Miss Elphaba. What are you doing here? Not that I am unhappy to see you, just surprised!"

"I wanted to make sure you were all right, Doctor Dillamond and I haven't had time, or opportunity, until tonight to get away."

"I'm quite well, Miss Elphaba, apart from the obvious. What about you? It's nearly curfew, you'll get in trouble for being out this late and as for being in the Animal quarter after dark, the City has laws about that as well!"

"Don't worry, Doctor Dillamond, I'll be fine. I just had to make sure _you _were after they dragged you out of class like that!"

"Only my dignity was injured, my dear girl, and what about you? I've heard some interesting things about what happened in class after I left."

"Is there anyone in the Animal quarter who doesn't know about it?"

"The news has been going around this quarter since this morning when the cub was found. The Lions are surprised and grateful."

"You were right, Doctor Dillamond, there _is _some thing bad happening in Oz. All this talk of cages and Animals never learning how to speak! It's wrong, it shouldn't be allowed! Someone has to _do_ something but…" Her voice trailed off in hesitation. "I wish I knew who and what. Is there anything I can do now? To help any of you?"

"You have already helped far more than anyone else has attempted to by returning the cub to his family."

"That wasn't just me! All I did was _accidentally_ stop the class then someone else grabbed the cage and we both left. Madame Morrible was very unhappy with me but then I don't suppose she would be happy to find out that I'm in the Animal Quarter after curfew either.

Do you remember what she said in class that day, Doctor, she implied that if I really wanted to meet the Wizard I shouldn't be spending so much time with _you_!

Maybe the Wizard could help…if I ever get to meet him or one of you could…but I suppose that's about as likely as me meeting him…if not less so considering all the new Laws preventing Animals from travelling or anything!"

Elphaba fell silent for a moment as she put together some pieces of information that hadn't occurred to her before.

_There are all these new Laws about what Animals can and can't do but who makes the Laws? The Wizard does of course…no he's the Wonderful Wizard of Oz why would he be hurting the Animals like this? They are part of Oz, after all, they always have been and they certainly aren't to blame for the great Drought even though that is implied in the History texts. No it can't be true, maybe he doesn't know about the Laws…oh Oz but how could he **not** know!_

_No! No I must not think that, I cannot accept that the wonderful wizard of Oz is behind all this, it **must **be the politicians…but what if it isn't?_

_It is a sad thing._ Thought the Doctor as he watched the outward signs of Elphaba's internal conflict. _When the young lose their innocent illusions of the world and the way it works. _

"Would you like to sit down, Miss Elphaba?"

"I think I might need to." She agreed weakly and sat down on the bare, uncarpeted, floor. "There's nothing I can do to help you, is there Doctor Dillamond? Not now while I'm just a student with no power other anything."

"I would not say there is 'nothing', Miss Elphaba. But anything you could do while you are a student would be detrimental to your future prospects if it were found out. I hesitate to say this, for fear of sounding paranoid, but Madame Headmistress has taken a particular interest in you. She often speaks to the staff members about your work and your…behaviour in class. From what she has told us, of your natural talent for sorcery and the Wizard's interest in you, there will be a time when you have the power to do more for us."

"She has implied that much?" ask Elphaba curiously, Madame Morrible rarely complimented her work or spoke of her future during Sorcery class. Dillamond smiled, as much and as reassuringly as a Goat could, then answered.

"If I may, Miss Elphaba, and I may because I am no longer employed by the University, I must tell you that you should be…wary of Madame headmistress's plans for your future. I believe she is not above using someone else to further her own ambitions."

Elphaba smiled a cheerless expression of past experience that made her look, in a very contradictory fashion, younger than she was.

"The day someone does something for me without wanting something for themselves will be a day when I am very surprised. I assure you, Doctor Dillamond, I have had my…suspicions about Madame's motives concerning me." She laughed sharply the way she always did when things particularly amused her, if only for their irony. "I never for a moment suspected that it was my winning personality that attracted her attention.

Now, back to the important things, what are the Animals going to _do_?"

"To be honest, Miss Elphaba, we have no idea at this time. The new Laws came as a great surprise to us all despite the increase in dissention about her treatment as equals to Humans. Some of us in the Emerald City are going to try and gain an audience with the Wizard before the deadline…"

"I beg your pardon for interrupting but what deadline do you mean?"

"Of course you wouldn't know, we heard it from a Bird who rested here this afternoon. Part of the new Law is that no Animals are allowed to live or work within the Emerald City and they must leave by next rest day."

"So they won't be able to speak for themselves? That's…" The word in her mind was 'terrible" but the word that came out was: "Clever. The outer provinces have already replaced most of their Animal representatives in the local Governments. There's probably something in those Laws about Animals needing someone to speak for them except no one in power s going to do it!"

"Which is exactly why an ally who is close to the Wizard would be a great help to all of us."

"But I'm only in my first year at Shiz!" protested Elphaba. "I don't think Madame Morrible will accept anything less than the full four years of magical training before she even _considers _recommending me to the Wizard. Surely there must be something I can do before then?"

"If I think of anything I will certainly try to find a way to contact you, though I'm not sure how I can get a message out of this quarter without getting you into trouble."

"Cats and Dogs." Suggested Elphaba. "The gardeners and the house staff are always chasing strays out of the grounds, as long as no one talks, they'll be taken for animals. Where are all the Animals going to go, do you think? The ones from the Emerald City."

"No one knows, some of those Animals were born there you know, I was born there myself and being a City Animal is much different to being a Country Animal from what I have heard."

Elphaba had, during the conversation, completely forgotten that the Badger was still present in the room. For his part Jern had stayed quiet during the Goat's conversation with his former student. He was curious to see what the only student Dillamond ever spoke of when he visited was like.

He decided very quickly that she was a curiously mixed up young Human. She was obviously sincere in her desire to help and that was what he considered important.

"A lot of them will go to the Quadlings, who still consider us their equals, or the tribes in the outer reaches of the Vinkus who do the same." The badger informed them both. "I only found out just recently and haven't had the time to tell you yet Dillamond."

"I don't believe you've been formally introduced." Realised the Goat. "Miss Elphaba Thropp, this is Professor Jern. He is one of the finest teachers of Literature in Oz. It is a shame he left Shiz before you began classes there."

"I am very pleased to meet you, Professor. Literature is one of the most enjoyable subjects taught at Shiz but I do find the teacher somewhat lacking."

"Dare I ask who teaches it now?"

"Madame Laelle, a Gillikinese lady of minor nobility. I find her overly fond of Gillikinese literature and overly critical of all other writers."

"Ahh yes, Miss Corinne Laelle, she was a student of mine many years ago. One of Madame's favourites which is indubitably why she now holds a teaching position."

"How long has Madame Morrible taught at Shiz?" Asked Elphaba curiously.

"Oh let me think." Said Jern.

"Before my time and I have taught there these past twelve years." Said Doctor Dillamond.

"She's been Headmistress for a good fifteen years at least. She taught sorcery to those who showed any ability, not often, and the rest of the time she was the Etiquette and Protocol Professor."

"I remember now, a conversation we had once, she started teaching at Shiz University the same year that the Wizard's reign began and before that she lived in the Emerald City." Clarified Doctor Dillamond.

"I remember her saying she doesn't teach the Sorcery class every semester." Said Elphaba. "Which implies there have been other students…but I've never heard of anyone having magic powers in recent times, other than the Wizard of course."

"There have been some in my time." Said Dillamond thoughtfully.

"And in mine." Added Jern. "But they were few and far between, they were seldom heard of after they graduated."

"Madame Headmistress speaks of you as the most powerful student she has ever had, Miss Elphaba, she is certain that you are destined for far greater things than her past students."

"I'm not certain if I want to meet her expectations or not." Remarked Elphaba uncertainly. "But there's no way of knowing how these things will turn out so I shall not worry about it until I have to."

"As enjoyable as this has been, Miss Elphaba, it is growing late." Said Doctor Dillamond in a tone that implied the significance of the time.

"So it is." Agreed Elphaba regretfully. "I must be away, back to Shiz, I'm late as it is and the gates will be closed. Fortunately, as with most of the students, I have a way of getting back inside after dark. I bid you goodnight, sirs. Please send me a message if there is anything at all I can do for you."

"We will and thank you for coming to see me." Said Dillamond.

"Good evening to you Miss Elphaba."

The Badger and the Goat walked with the cloaked girl to the door and watched her disappear into the rain.

"What an odd young Human." Remarked the Badger "Not just the obvious but the way she speaks and what she speaks is…sometimes not quite right. Do you see it?"

"She is different to others of her age and of her species even, I suppose she has to be." Replied Dillamond in a non-committal tone. "We are neither of us Psychology Professors to analyse such things."

"No we are simply Animals who must judge others by their actions. Her actions so far lead me to a positive opinion even if they were, as she claims, an accident."

"She was the only one who protested when I was led from the classroom. The only one who cared enough to stay when someone left that wretched message on my blackboard."

The Goat sighed as the pair went back into the Badger's house.

"I do hope that she will be all right."

**AN: **Reviews don't make me write faster but they are appreciated all the same :) hope you all liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life could end up changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Pairings:** When I know you'll know.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba **_didn't_** get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note:** If anyone would like to leave a review I would particularly appreciate comments (positive or negative)of my characterisation of Nessa and her relationship with Elphaba.

**Chapter Four**

It was dark, several hours after curfew, when Elphaba got back to the room she shared with Galinda. She hesitated outside the door, listening for any indication that Galinda was still awake – there was none.

The next morning, when Galinda woke up, there was no sign that Elphaba's bed had been slept in. Despite the argument she was worried about the older girl and rushed into the siting room to see if she'd been back and left a note. What she found was Elphaba, still in yesterday's clothes, asleep on the sofa and lying in an awkward position that suggested she'd fallen asleep sitting up.

"Elphaba?"

Elphaba's eyes snapped open and she stumbled to her feet.

"Galinda!"

"I was worried when you didn't come home last night!"

"Galinda, I just want to say I'm sorry for everything I said to you yesterday. I was upset about Doctor Dillamond and I lost my temper. Can you forgive me?"

Galinda nodded enthusiastically, she had gotten over the entire episode fairly quickly.

"Of course Elphie! And I'm sorry too, about what I said to the other girls! Does this mean we're still friends?"

"Of course we are…if _you _want to be."

" I would very much like to continue to be your friend, Miss Elphaba." Said Galinda formally. "How, on to more important matters, what are you going to wear today?"

"My uniform." Said Elphaba firmly. "I felt like such a fool yesterday and my hair is a mess of tangles today!"

"But Elphie you have such beautiful hair! At least wear it in a ponytail again!"

"If I ever get the knots out…I'll _think_ about it."

"I'll let you wash up first." Offered Galinda. "Since you have a class at Ninth hour and mine isn't until Eleventh."

"Who are you and where is the real Miss Galinda?" asked Elphaba with understandable scepticism. During the first months of their association Galinda had stayed in the bathroom for at least an hour at a time leaving Elphaba to get ready in the bedroom. After the first week of this Elphaba had simply taken to bathing in the shared girl's bathroom after curfew when no one was around. It hadn't taken her long to discover the servant's passageways and those were rarely used after curfew.

"Whatever do you mean?" asked Galinda who was not the quickest thinker first thing in the morning. "Would you like to use the bathroom or not?"

"Yes, thank you." Said Elphaba awkwardly. "I won't touch anything of yours, I promise."

"I appreciate your consideration, Miss Elphaba, thank you…especially not **_my _**hairbrush!"

"I've seen your hairbrush, Galinda, if I tried to use that it would be lost _forever_!"

"My point exactly!"

That seemed to be all there was to say on the subject. Elphaba, still feeling awkward about using Galinda's bathroom, collected her towel and other necessary items from her bedside drawers and went into the bathroom. She was not surprised to find that it was just as untidy as Galinda's half of the closet and bedroom. The blonde girl had a tendency to spread her things out everywhere but she never said anything when Elphaba, out of sheer frustration with the lack of space for her own –admittedly few - possessions, cleaned the place up. Presumably Miss Galinda assumed a Shiz maid had cleaned up and thought nothing more of it.

Elphaba placed the jacket Galinda had insisted she borrow and wear carefully on top of the dirty clothes basket. Apparently it had been given to Galinda by some relative and her mother had insisted she bring it to Shiz despite the fact it was too large for the petite blonde girl. It was followed, very shortly, by her plain black dress, which went straight into the basket.

The whole process of washing, changing clothes, and putting her boots back on took all of half an hour. During that time Galinda changed her mind six times about what she was going to wear to her Etiquette class.

"I'm going to comb my hair out here if you want to use the…Great Oz Galinda! Did your half of the closet _explode_ while I was gone?"

Galinda stared mournfully at the colourful dresses spread from one end of her bed to the other and over every available surface in the room, including Elphaba's bed, and sighed.

"I simply can not decide what to wear today!"

"Ah." Said Elphaba, barely restraining her smile of amusement. "An explosion of indecision?"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Galinda, taking Elphaba's comment as sincere interest in her dilemma. "I simply can not wear pink today, it's too sunny for yellow and, unlike some who probably don't even know what week it is, I absolutely can not wear my uniform during free dress week!"

_I wondered why I got away with being dressed up yesterday._ Mused Elphaba._ I should have guessed that Galinda knew what she was talking about when she said I wouldn't get in trouble._

"Of course Pfannee and Shenshen didn't have chance to tell me what _they _are wearing and I couldn't bear to clash with them or _worse _wear the same colour!"

"I think it's supposed to cloud over later this morning." Said Elphaba in a very uninformed attempt to help solve Galinda's fashion crisis. "So perhaps you could wear that nice yellow dress?"

"Well…it _is _the right time of year for that style but I'm just not sure…"

"You'll look beautiful no matter what you wear." Elphaba reassured her because the younger girl seemed to expect some comment on the matter.

"Well of course!" agreed Galinda. "What do you think I should wear?"

"I…I have no idea, Galinda, all of your dresses are lovely."

"I insist you pick for me today, Elphie! Please? I promised the girls I'd meet them this morning and I'd hate to be late."

"I have to do my hair and meet Nessa, my class is in half an hour."

"It'll take two minutes. I promise I'll wear whatever you pick!"

Elphaba looked around the room, bewildered by the sheer number of garments spread around the place, and sighed.

"I'll pick _one_ thing but if you decide you don't want to wear it you have to choose your own."

"Fine, fine. Just pick something!"

Elphaba looked around again then carefully picked up a particularly stunning lavender sundress in the same style as the yellow one that Galinda hadn't been sure about wearing.

"This one. I've never seen Miss Pfannee or Miss Shenshen wear anything similar."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Galinda, surprising Elphaba with a spontaneous hug. "It's just right!"

Galinda picked up the dress and disappeared into the bathroom.

"I guess this means she _isn't_ going to clean up." Murmured Elphaba. With a long-suffering sigh she picked up her comb and sat cross-legged on the floor next to her bed to sort her hair out.

* * *

"Nessa? Are you ready?"

Nessarose frowned when she heard Elphaba's voice outside her door. She'd been told all about what her sister had done in History, while she was ill, by Madame Morrible.

"Come in, Elphaba." She said petulantly. Her sister, dressed in her school uniform and not the clothes she'd heard about, entered the room carrying her book bag – she always studied during Nessa's music classes – and smiled hesitantly at her sister.

"Good morning Nessa."

"I fail to see what's so good about it." Replied Nessa icily as she picked up her music book and wheeled herself across the room to glare at her sister. "Madame Morrible told me all about how you disgraced us in class yesterday!"

"She did?" replied Elphaba in the bland disinterested tone that always infuriated Nessa. The younger Thropp sister had no idea that Elphaba didn't do this to annoy her on purpose

"Yes! She **did**! Elphaba how could you?"

"It wasn't exactly my…"

"It's bad enough that you did it at home! I thought things would be different here. You _promised _me that if I helped you convince Father to let you take Sorcery classes you would _never _do anything like that again! Do you think you don't have to keep your promises now?"

"Nessa I…" Elphaba tried to protest, to explain, to defend herself against the harsh words that struck more deeply than any physical injury ever could. Before she could complete the sentence Nessa spoke again, saying something that _always_ made her sister give in.

"You always told me that you _cared_ about me and would never do anything to hurt me!"

Nessa spoke in a trembling, vulnerable, tone that _never_ failed to make Elphaba feel sorry for whatever harm, real or imagined, she had caused her sister.

"But you have hurt me, Elphaba. I have been trying _so_ hard to fit in here – which is more than _you_ have done – and you've ruined it for me. Do you think any of my friends will speak to me now? I've rarely been so embarrassed in my _life_ and those were all your fault as well!"

Not once did it occur to Elphaba to think that her sister's friends were hardly that if they would snub her simply because she had an embarrassing relative. She dropped to the floor in front of her sister's wheelchair - despite the fact that last time she'd that Nessa had retaliated by kicking her in the shoulder, the younger Thropp sister's legs weren't completely paralysed just too weak for her to walk - and pleaded tearfully with Nessa.

"Nessa, I am so, so, sorry. Please, I never meant for this to happen! I've tried so hard to control this _thing_ so I wouldn't disappoint you!"

Nessa was perversely pleased by the fact that she was the only person, in **Oz**, who had the power to reduce Elphaba to tears. A few words from her had more effect on her sister than every taunt and joke made behind her back, or to her face, by strangers. It made Nessa feel like she was the older sister, the one whom the younger must defer to, Elphaba had rarely refused anything that Nessarose asked of her not even when it required her to do something that would cause Elphaba to get into trouble.

Nessa never felt guilty over these incidents (well rarely) she had heard throughout her childhood and young adulthood that her…condition was Elphaba's fault, even her sister admitted it, therefore Elphaba should make up for it in some way.

While Nessarose pondered the matter Elphaba sat on the floor in miserable silence, secretly hating herself for always giving in to Nessa so easily but squashing the feeling by reminding herself of her guilt in the matter, and waited for Nessa to speak.

These occasions always followed one of two patterns: Nessa would grudgingly forgive her sister but remind Elphaba of her transgression for days to come or she would refuse to speak to her for a few days _then_ follow the former pattern.

"I am disappointed, Elphaba." Said Nessa, all condescension and understanding forgiveness now that Elphaba had apologised. "But I understand the difficulties you have, I **do**. I just wish you would _try_ a bit harder to fit in, or at least try not to cause so much commotion all of the time!"

"I will try harder, Nessa, I swear I will. You _know_ I'm so grateful for you intervening with Father don't you? I really, truly, am and I will do _anything_ I can to make this up to you! Please, Nessa, just tell me: what can I do to make this right?"

"I don't know what you could possibly do." said Nessa coldly. "You already broke the promise you made to me…"

"I meant what I said, I _did_. I would never deliberately hurt you. Nessa please, please, forgive me!"

"_Promise_ that you won't do anything like that ever again." Said Nessa resolutely.

_How can I promise not to do something that I don't know I can do in the first place?_

"And I won't tell Father what you did."

That settled the matter; of course, Governor Frex Thropp had not been at all pleased to her about Elphaba's 'display' on their first day at Shiz and had promptly promised (threatened) that any further reports of such incidents would result in Elphaba being sent home immediately. Nessa knew that her sister loved school, her grades were proof enough of that, and would do anything she asked for the chance to stay as long as she could.

Elphaba felt helplessly torn between wanting to make things right with her sister and knowing, in her heart, that she couldn't make that promise truthfully.

Which would be worse? To disappoint Nessa or to lie to her? No. I can't lie to her, she's my sister and if I could not tell her the truth I would not be the person I think I am.

"Nessa."

"Yes?"

"I…I _want_ to make that promise to you but you must understand that I…I still can't control these powers. I've done everything I could to learn as quickly as I can…and it hasn't been enough. I still lost control and I know it is my own fault, I should have tried harder, practiced more, I don't know really but I'm sure I could have prevented this. Please will you accept my promise that I will do everything in my power to stop something like what happened yesterday from _ever_ happening again? I wish I could promise more, Nessa, but I can't lie to you and say that it _won't_ happen again. As much as I wish it never had, and never would, I can't promise that."

Nessa pretended to consider the matter while her sister waited nervously, she had already decided to accept the promise because she had a sneaking suspicion that her father would not let her stay at Shiz – with the friends and social life she enjoyed so much – if he called her sister home no matter how much she pleaded.

"If that's the best you can do…I suppose it will suffice. Now do get up off the floor Elphaba or I'm going to be late for my class!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life could end up changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Pairings:** Removing this section until further notice (ie until I decide what the pairingsare lol)

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba **_didn't_** get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note: **Not much to say this time, sorry it took me so long to get this posted I was suffering from the dreadful malaise known as the common cold! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter Five**

Nessarose's first class for the third day of the week was a piano lesson with one of the University's music teachers. She was also learning to play the harp on Sixth Day afternoon and had singing lessons on First Day morning. Elphaba accompanied her sister to each of these classes, as instructed by her Father under the conditions of her attending Shiz with Nessa, in fact every class she took was the same as her sister's and it was only a letter from Madame Morrible to the Governor – the contents of which Elphaba was not privy to – that caused him to allow her to take Sorcery classes.

The lesson went well enough, Nessa was an accomplished player and enjoyed studying with Mistress Hanna Forale who was a former habitant of the Emerald City and a professional performer before she returned to teach. After the first lesson Mistress Forale had taken little notice of Miss Elphaba Thropp, who spent the entire lesson buried in her own work in any case.

No, for Nessa, the day turned truly bad shortly after Elphaba dropped her sister at the Dining room and disappeared to wherever it was she ate her own lunch. Nessa always assumed it was because she didn't want to be stared at while she ate but in fact it was due to an incident that Nessa didn't even remember.

A group of girls from Literature class (Fifth Day morning) waved for her to join them and the almost-memory was lost in her subconscious again.

"Good afternoon everyone." Said Nessa with a genuine smile at the girls she considered her close friends. Thankfully none of them were History students so, even if they had heard what happened, it wouldn't be as bad as if they had been in the class.

"You look divine today, Nessa dear!" proclaimed Miss Kara, a Gillikinese girl who was a distant cousin of some kind to Miss Galinda. "That dress is simply delightful, you do look so well in burgundy."

"Why thank you, Miss Kara." Said Nessa with a gracious smile. "And may I say that you, also, look very well today."

The Gillikinese girl was wearing a frilly, lacy, and frankly frivolous, pale orange dress that suited her quite well.

"I rather thought I would look better in that dress." Remarked Miss Syra, Kara's twin sister. "But Miss Rané _insisted _that the dark pink suited me better than Kara!"

Miss Syra and Miss Kara were twin sisters with the exact same figure, however, Syra was brown haired and her sister nearly as blonde as Miss Galinda so they rarely wore the same colours.

The vivacious Miss Rané, who shared a room with the twins and one other young lady, had pale skin, orange-red hair, and an overabundance, in her opinion, of freckles on her face and arms.

"And I've regretted telling her since, I assure you, Miss Nessarose."

"You told me it made me look like a pumpkin!"

"And it did, my sweet, it truly did!"

"I don't look well in orange either." Said Nessa soothingly.

"At least you _can_ wear pink, Miss Syra!" added Miss Rané in another attempt to sooth her roommate's wounded pride. "You know I am never at my most diplomatic early in the morning."

"It's forgotten, Rané, please I can not stand it when you get that look in your eyes!"

"What look?"

"You know what I mean!"

"I most certainly do not!"

"She means your 'pity me for I have red hair' look." Explained Kara.

"Oh, I see, well you should know that this is – in fact – my 'poor girl who can't wear pink' face."

"But, dearest, everyone who doesn't have red hair can wear pink!"

"Oh how cruelly you taunt me!" protested Rané theatrically (she wasn't in Drama classes for nothing). "My supposed dear friends and you persist in being so cruelly honest with me! What do I care for everyone who does not have red hair when I am burdened with it? Truly it is a burden you can not fathom to be unable to wear colours that you love!"

"You're wrong in any case, Syra." Miss Kara took upon herself to point out to her sister. "There are a lot of people who don't have red hair that can't, or should _not_ wear pink. It takes a certain figure to look truly good in the colour."

"Oh you did have to go and say that _before_ lunch didn't you?" complained Miss Rané who, while not being anything close to plump, despised her full figure especially in the company of the short and slender twins. "Now I shan't be able to eat a thing for fear of ruining the lines of my dresses!"

"It's only rabbit stew anyway. You know it will be, that's all they ever feed us for Third Day lunch."

"I quite like it." Remarked Nessa mildly. "Our cook at home never makes anything with rabbit. I asked her once and she nearly fainted, probably thought it wasn't suitable for a Governor's daughter or some silliness."

"My brother was a keen hunter, before he married, and he was _always _bringing rabbits home for the cook to prepare." Said Miss Rané who had grown up on the border of Gillikin and Munchkinland. "I'm not partial to it but I don't quite see why you two must complain about it so much!"

"It's just so common, do we look like farmers to you?" answered Kara vehemently.

"Oh look, Nessa, there's Master Boq. Why don't you ask him to join us?" said Rané encouragingly.

"Do you think I should?"

"Of course! He escorted you to a party didn't he? I'm sure he'd like to talk to you again, who wouldn't?"

Nessa shyly waved to Boq as he passed close to the table, he waved back in a half-hearted way then disappeared out of the room.

"Oh." Said Nessa with a shrug that didn't show how disappointed she was. "I guess he had something else to do."

"How rude of him, he could have at least said hello!" said Syra with a frown on Nessa's behalf.

"Really some of these Shiz boys are _so_ ill mannered!" added Kara.

"Here's our lunch!" finished Rané perkily.

When the girls finished their lunch Rané politely offered to take Nessa to her next class. Caught halfway between embarrassment and gratitude Nessa smiled but shook her head.

"I have to wait for my sister. She gets dreadfully annoyed if I go off on my own and don't tell her."

"How awkward for you." Said Rané sympathetically. "I'm so glad I'm the only child of my family at Shiz! It must be such a bother for you to have around all the time, particularly…well not to be too indelicate dear, particularly the way people talk about her."

"Yes…but one must endure such things and it's not as if I didn't know people would talk about both of us."

"Oh no one says anything but the nicest things about _you_, Nessa!"

Rané reassured her friend truthfully, the only time students at Shiz said anything vaguely derogatory about Nessa was in relation to her odd sister. Rané was in most of the Thropp sisters' classes and secretly thought that it was quite a shame that Miss Elphaba had so much of a tendency to cause commotions that no one noticed how clever she was.

"We'll see you in class then, Nessa." Said Kara. "Dreary old Law and Politics, I wish we could have not taken it!"

"Come along, Miss Rané. We wouldn't want you to get in trouble for daring to talk to Miss Nessa." Added Syra sarcastically.

"I'll wait here with Nessa, thank you, Miss Syra." Replied Rané icily. "I wouldn't want her to be late because her sister is too lazy to remember to pick her up!"

"Fine, fine, if you two aren't in class when Professor Juner gets there I'll make up some excuse for you."

"Thank you."

The twins took off in a blur of dark pink and orange and disappeared into the crowd of people leaving the dining room.

"Lazy is one of the few things no one could accuse my sister of being." Remarked Nessa quietly. That comment had rankled her and she didn't like feeling bad because someone said something about her sister that wasn't true (never mind the number of times she had done so as a child to get herself out of trouble).

"Oh I certainly meant no insult, dearest Nessa, it was simply the first excuse I could think of to stay here and walk with you instead of that pair of wearying Gillikin girls. I adore them dearly but one does grow tired of sharing a room with the same company day in and day out! Thank Oz they spend so much time out of the room during Study hours or I would have done them harm by now I'm sure!"

"They invited me to afternoon tea once." Recounted Nessa. "With the Gillikinese girls of Shiz. I declared I have never heard so much inane laughter in my life!"

"The Giggling Gillikinese as we call them where I come from. They often look down their noses at us because half the families have Munchkin or Vinkus blood in them. As if your bloodline matters, half of the Gillikinese nobles can't count to ten with their shoes on!"

Nessa couldn't help smiling as she verbally protested the remark.

"Miss Rané! You are scandalacious sometimes!"

"Not half as bad as I could be nor half as good as I should be." Retorted Rané with a smile. "Oh I've been dying to quote that since I read the book!"

"A very fitting quote." Agreed Nessa as she anxiously looked through the window to the clock in the courtyard.

"It looks like your sister is going to be late. Would you like to wait a little longer?"

"No, I'd rather go with you anyway."

"Very well then." Rané smiled at Nessa. "Shall I push or shall you?"

"I can manage today, thank you Rané."

* * *

After she dropped her sister off at the Dining hall Elphaba, while carefully avoiding the main hallways and contact with other people, made her way to the rooftop garden to eat her own lunch. 

As misfortune would have it the garden, normally empty, was full of a group of giggling girls having a picnic. She backed into the door as quickly as she could and went back downstairs in a rather bad mood. Having noticed that Miss Galinda, Miss Shenshen, and Miss Pfannee were all amongst those in the garden she went back to her room to eat her lunch.

She waited as long as possible, moving some of Galinda's clothes from her bed to the blonde girl's as a way to pass the time, before going down to the Dining hall. Instead of waiting alone, as she normally did, Nessa was talking to, and laughing with, a tall redhead whom Elphaba recognised as Miss Rané LeJeune from their Law and Politics class as well as several others. She couldn't help overhearing the end of their conversation, Rané's remark about 'giggling Gillikinese girls' made her smile as did Nessa's attempt at outrage in response.

She waited until Nessa had wheeled herself out of the room, followed by her friend, and then walked through the dining room to go to class.

"You are late, Miss Thropp." Scolded the professor. "Please take your seat and open your book to Chapter Seven."

"I beg your pardon Professor." Murmured Elphaba as she sat down on Nessa's right hand side. While the professor was lecturing on the chapter Elphaba scribbled a quick note and slid it onto Nessa's desk. Nessa glanced up from her, very distracted, note taking to make sure that the professor wasn't looking in her direction then quickly unfolded the note. Elphaba had scrawled on there in her barely legible handwriting:

Saw you with a friend and didn't want to interrupt. Sorry if I made you late.

Nessa smiled and nodded then slipped the piece of paper into her notebook. She proceeded to spend the rest of the class forgetting to take notes as she tortured herself with all the reasons why Boq, who wasn't in this class, might have ignored her at lunchtime.

Elphaba noticed how distracted Nessa was but couldn't talk to her in class so she concentrated on taking notes that would be neat enough for her sister to copy later.

"The class is finished Nessa." She said, several hours later, when the rest of the students and the professor had left.

"It has?" said Nessa, looking up from her unused notebook to the empty classroom. "Oh."

"Did something happen at lunch?"

"Not exactly." Replied Nessa hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to discuss her romantic problems with her practical sister. "We had rabbit stew."

"Rabbit stew." Repeated Elphaba with a barely repressed shudder.

"Oh I know you don't like meat but the food was quite delicious."

"I particularly dislike rabbit."

Just talking about it made Elphaba remember the reason she hadn't eaten meat for ten years. A day that Nessarose only remembered as the first time Elphaba's _other_ strangeness manifested itself.

Twelve-year-old Elphaba Thropp sat in the nursery, now Nessarose's room, entertaining her sister while their nanny, Arlina, went to fetch lunch. The woman returned, along with the cook, carrying plates of stew for the girls.

"This looks more like rabbit than leftover beef." Remarked Arlina, frowning at such an irritation as a change in the luncheon menu. It did not do, after all, to upset the delicate stomach of Miss Nessarose Thropp.

"_Well it was the funniest thing." Said the Cook with an odd smile. "I was out in my kitchen garden, here you go my poppet," she placed Nessa's plate carefully on the table while Arlina rather casually placed Elphaba's in front of her. "And I see's this rabbit-y vermin in my carrot patch. 'Shoo off you' I says to him and what do you suppose 'appened then? 'e turns to me and says 'I beg your pardon.' T'were a Rabbit it was, eating my carrots bold as brass."_

_Elphaba stopped with her first forkful halfway to her mouth, wondering if the rabbit was her friend whom she'd warned away from the cook's vegetable patch many times._

"_And now." Concluded the old cook. "Here we have rabbit stew for lunch instead of dried up old beef."_

"_Serves the little beast right for being in the gardens." Replied Arlina with a nod. She shivered as a sudden chill hit the air. Such a chill that was unheard of for this time of year…she was wondering what could have caused it when Miss Nessarose let out a shriek of protest as her sister knocked her fork out of hand and threw both plates of food towards the window…_

_Arlina flinched in anticipation of the plates smashing through the glass of the door but they didn't…_

_There was a searing flash of bright light and a gentle thud. The two plates, completely clean and empty, landed on the floor with not a chip between them. _

"_He was my friend, you wretched, ignorant, women." Hissed Elphaba, sounding far older than her years and still too angry to be shocked by she had done. "Don't either of you dare try to give me meat again! I promise I'll not believe it is animal, and not Animal, no matter what you swear by."_

Naturally the women reported the incident to the Governor, after tending to poor Miss Nessarose who took hysterics and had to lie down, neither of them ever found out what he said to Miss Elphaba but she apologised to them and her sister (rather more sincerely in the latter case) and no more was said until the next time such an incident occurred but she never ate meat again.

"Are you still with me Elphaba?" asked Nessa in a rather acidic tone as her sister stared blankly at the blackboard for several minutes.

"I'm sorry Nessa. My mind wandered off with me, what happened at lunch?"

"Well I was sitting with Miss Rané, Miss Kara, and Miss Syra, which was very nice but then Boq came in and the girls said I should ask him to join us so I waved to him to come over. He waved back but then he just left the room and I've just been going crazy all afternoon wondering what happened between last night and today!"

"Oh Nessa, he probably just belongs to one of those lunchtime study groups or something! You mustn't worry about it."

"I do worry about it, Elphaba. I don't expect you to understand it but I worry that he doesn't like me after all and maybe he regrets taking me to the party or he only did it because Galinda encouraged him. Elphaba, I don't think I could stand it if he only asked me to the party to impress Miss Galinda! She's so beautiful and popular!"

"You are beautiful and popular as well Nessa! If he only asked you to go with him to impress her then it's not worth pursuing his friendship."

"I _want_ him to be my friend, Elphaba, I know it's silly to want someone who's clearly in love with another person but I don't care!"

"It's not so silly, Nessa. No one can help who they love."

"Elphaba. Do you think you could…well Miss Galinda is your roommate and perhaps she would tell you if…if…it was her idea for Boq to invite me to the party?"

"Of course, Nessa, if you truly want to know I'd ask Boq himself!"

"That won't be necessary!" demurred Nessa hastily. "Just find out from Miss Galinda for me?"

"I will, as soon as I see her alone."

"And Elphaba?"

"Yes?"

"May I borrow your notes?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.**

**Title: **Your Life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating: **PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba didn't get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note:** Big thanks to everyone who reviewed. Hope everyone likes the latest :)

**Chapter Six**

_Who to talk to first?_ Wondered Elphaba after she left her sister in one of the common rooms with the notes from that day's class and the ones she'd made for the next day's Protocol test. _Galinda probably isn't back yet but there's no telling where Master Boq might be. Maybe I shouldn't talk to him after all, he might tell Nessa I interfered and then I would be in trouble! But she's so upset about this; I am determined to find out how he feels about her. One member of the family in a **hopeless** romantic situation – if one could call something so _**one-sided**_ romantic – is quite enough!_

"Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba was drawn out of her reverie by the distinctive tones of Madame Morrible.

"Madame Morrible." she said with a polite nod. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry, dear. I was wondering if we might continue our little conversation from last night? Some new information has come to my attention that I would like to discuss with you."

Elphaba somehow managed to keep her expression bland as she replied affirmatively to Madame Morrible's request and followed the Headmistress to her office.

_What could she possibly know now that she didn't know yesterday afternoon?_ She wondered frantically. _Unless she's going to lecture me for missing Sorcery class? Oh Oz! I hope she hasn't found out about me seeing Doctor Dillamond!_

Morrible sat down behind her desk, giving no indication that Elphaba should sit down, and looked over the rims of her glasses in a manner that had caused many students, over the years, to spill their secrets. She often found it interesting to hear what they had to say when they _didn't_ know what she was going to tell them off for.

"I assume this is about my being in the City after curfew." Said Elphaba in a manner that was far too composed for Madame Morrible's liking.

"An action punished by suspension or expulsion." Agreed Madame Morrible.

_I won't let Madame see that expulsion is the worst possible thing she could threaten me with, I won't, I won't, I won't!_

"Is that why I am here, Madame, to be told that you are going to expel me from Shiz University?"

_Far too calm for my liking, Miss Elphaba Thropp, I'd like to say yes just to make you react but no, this is not the time for such actions. _

"Not today, Miss Elphaba, today I just wish to discuss your recent actions. I do not wish to expel you but I fear I shall have no other choice if such behaviour continues."

"As I tried to tell you at the time I certainly did not intend what happened in History class yesterday. I was just so shocked by the implications…and I felt so sorry for that poor Lion cub…"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you thought you had good reasons for disturbing the class in such a manner." Said Madame Morrible dismissively. "Of course, there are better approaches you could have taken but you are very young and impulsive. No, I want to talk to you about something much more important to your future."

"I see." Replied Elphaba though she really had no idea what Madame Morrible was going to talk about.

"It is bad enough for one of the most promising Sorcery students I have had in years to be leaving the ground without permission, twice in one day no less! But to have that selfsame student be seen entering the Animal quarter of the city, I confess myself mortified by the mere thought of it!"

_Oh Oz she knows about that, I am in for it now! Hmm, should I deny it or just apologise?_

"I would not cause you such embarrassment on purpose, Madame Morrible. I did not think anyone saw me once I left the University. My only intention in visiting that part of the City was to reassure myself that Doctor Dillamond was well. He is not a young Goat and the shock of being so summarily removed from his teaching position must have come as a great shock. I confess that I was shocked as well, to hear that such _intolerant_ laws have been passed against Animals."

_You are getting dangerously close to an edge here. _Elphaba warned herself sharply. _Don't get too close to it **just** yet._

"The Wizard and the Government know what is best for Oz, Miss Elphaba." The headmistress warned her severely.

"Of course they do, Madame Morrible. That's why we have a Wizard isn't it? To keep Oz wonderful!"

"It does you credit that you can concern yourself with all of the citizens of Oz, including the Animals, my dear but it is not seemly for someone who is still a student to criticise the way things are done."

"Oh no of course not! I meant no disrespect Madame. It is only that there are things I don't understand and I want to. I certainly did not _intend _criticism of the Wizard or the Government! I am sure it is not an easy thing to govern an entire country!"

"If you work well, and let there be no more of the nonsense I have seen yesterday, there is a good chance that you will one day have firsthand knowledge of exactly how difficult it is to be one of the people who govern Oz. Do not suppose that I was not in earnest when I said that the Wizard could make you his magical advisor, I meant it.

In fact I will share with you something that no one at Shiz knows: my sole purpose for teaching Sorcery here is to find someone talented enough to be that advisor. It is a task given to me by the Wizard when he first became the fair and just ruler of our great Oz."

_I should be feeling overwhelmed by the honour of all this, I should be feeling…something other than the desperate need to not be here!_

"Madame, this is so, so, overwhelming. You did speak of the possibilities on my first day here but now…I worry that I am not doing as well as I should be in Sorcery class. Yesterday's events make it obvious that my control is far less than absolute and…how could I even hope to meet the Wizard let alone help him when I can not even control myself in class?"

_So that is the chink in your armour, Miss Elphaba Thropp. Thought Madame Morrible, hiding her triumph behind an expression of sympathy. Very good. I knew you would give yourself away sooner or later._

"Attending your sorcery classes would certainly be a good way to begin." She told the young woman sternly.

"Of course. I apologise for my absence yesterday, Madame Morrible. I wasn't thinking clearly at all."

"Miss Upland was most disappointed that I had to cancel her first lesson due to your absence."

"Yes, Madame, I know. I have already apologised to her."

"Excellent. The two of you are going to be working together in the future and it is much easier if there is no tension between you."

Elphaba still looked quite stricken by the earlier parts of the conversation so Madame Morrible made a conscious decision to finish the interview on a sympathetic and positive note.

"Don't distress yourself, my dear girl, everybody loses control when they first learn to use their magic. I will help you and you will help yourself, there will be no more talk of you not meeting the Wizard because I am certain that you will not only meet him but greatly impress him as well! "

"Thank you, Madame Morrible." said Elphaba with a hint of her former composure. "Your confidence in me is reassuring."

"Off you go and study now, Miss Elphaba. I am glad we got to have this little chat."

"Thank you Madame."

Elphaba departed the room with a polite nod, leaving Madame Morrible feeling quite certain of her control of the situation.

* * *

_How?_ Wondered Elphaba. _Am_ I _supposed to have a discreet conversation with Boq? She stopped halfway down the, fortunately empty, hallway and laughed softly at her own stupidity. You silly girl! You're on your way to a study session with him right now._

Indeed she had, without really being aware of it, been walking towards Study Room Seventeen, the room that she and Boq studied in once a week since the first week of school when Professor Laelle had assigned each of the class a study partner for the year.

She opened the door and saw that Boq was already seated at the table.

"Good evening Miss Elphaba.' Said the Munchkin with the same mixture of nervous politeness he had spoken to her with every time they met.

"Good evening Master Boq." Replied Elphaba with the same bland tone _she_ had used since they were assigned to study together, a tone that suggested she was willing to be polite as long as the person she was addressing was.

Elphaba waited patiently while Boq stumbled through his usual awkward small talk to which she invariably replied in monosyllables. She raised her hand slightly to interrupt him before he moved on to talking about their work.

"You took my sister to a dance." She stated in a neutral tone.

Boq's reaction, from the point of view of a perfectly straight faced Elphaba, was quite amusing: he turned an interesting shade of red, stuttered something nonsensical, then finally managed a quiet, very nervous, reply.

"Well…yes…I did, Miss Elphaba."

"Nessarose is under the impression that you were there to enjoy her company." Continued Elphaba, the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice made it clear that _she_ knew better.

"I…"

"Don't even think about opening your mouth unless you are going to tell me the truth, Master Boq." Warned Elphaba. "Miss Galinda put you up to it didn't she?"

"Yes." Admitted Boq, feeling very ashamed of himself, he hurried to explain. "I wanted to tell Miss Nessarose the truth but then she guess I only asked her because of her…you know and she looked so upset that I had to lie and tell her it was because she's beautiful except it wasn't a total lie because she _is_ beautiful that just wasn't the reason I asked her to go to the party with me!"

"And when you ignored her at lunch today?" queried Elphaba sternly, giving no indication of her reaction to his long explanation.

"Well...I…uh…to be honest…"

"Please do."

"I didn't want to talk to her today…well I don't mean I don't; want to talk to her at all. It's just that **_both_** of us seem to be confused about what's happening, or what isn't happening, between us. Especially after I saw Miss Galinda dancing with that Winkie Prince at the party and she doesn't even know my name! But I hardly know Miss Nessarose either. I'm not sure about anything except that Miss Galinda doesn't know, or care, who I am!"

"Miss Galinda is not the most perceptive person when it comes to noticing people." Agreed Elphaba. "**_I_** am more concerned about the way my sister's feelings have been hurt. She is quite fragile, you know, though she hides it very well. She certainly doesn't have enough social experience to be able to tell the difference between someone who is _genuinely_ interested in her and someone who is just _using_ her to impress a popular person with their kindness."

"I feel bad about this, I really **do**." Insisted Boq. "I just don't know how to make it better without making things worse!"

"I would _suggest_ that you apologise to my sister and tell her the truth."

The way she emphasised the word 'suggest' made it clear that it was the furthest thing from a suggestion.

"It _will_ hurt her feelings but that is better than lying to her. As for your hopeless infatuation with Miss Galinda I really can't offer you any advice about that."

"Except that you think it's hopeless. Do you think…is it because I'm a Munchkin?"

"Who knows?" replied Elphaba. "It could just be because she's met that new student."

"Fiyero Tiggular." Interjected Boq gloomily. 'That Winkie Prince whose reputation is so scandalacious' at least that's what Miss Galinda told me when he arrived. _I _have never heard of him."

"I imagine we Easterners are far too _boring_ for the likes of him."

Though this was the first time Boq had really remembered Miss Elphaba came from the same country as him he smiled and replied.

"Well you know what they say about Munchkinlanders: if the world ended…"

"…We'd be the last to hear about it!" Finished Elphaba with a smile.

_She smiles like Nessa_ thought Boq. After their moment of shared camaraderie he felt more comfortable asking her:

"When do you think the best time to talk to Miss Nessarose would be?

"After our History class tomorrow afternoon." Suggested Elphaba as that was the first class they had together during the rest of the week. Boq nodded, that would give him time nearly a whole day to decide what to say to her.

"It is very honourable of you to this, Master Boq." Said Elphaba and, to his surprise, she sounded genuinely impressed. "A lot of young men would have told me to mind my own business and been quite rude about it too."

"Why, Miss Elphaba! I could never be so impolite to the Governor's daughter."

For a moment Elphaba was confused, she thought he was talking about Nessarose, then she realised he was referring to her.

"Well." She said, speaking sarcastically to cover her shock. "I didn't think there was _anyone_ in Munchkinland who actually thought of me that way. I have overheard them referring to me as 'Frex and Melena's daughter', or just 'Melena's daughter' if they are being particularly malicious and improper…"

"What a thing to suggest!"

"But never 'the Governor's daughter'. How odd I don't feel any different to what I did before you said it, Master Boq. Still I should prefer it if you didn't do so again. Leave such titles to those who care for them, if you please."

"Of course, Miss Elphaba, I intended no offence to you."

"I know." Elphaba brushed off the entire episode with a casual hand gesture. "It's forgotten. Now that we've sorted this out, I do believe we have a Literature Exam in two days to prepare for."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your Life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba didn't get invited to the Emerald City straight after I'm Not That Girl?

**Author's note:** Nothing to say here this time around. If anyone has questions please feel free to message me and I'll do my best to explain.

Big thanks to my lovely editor Beautifully Tragic-Tragically Beautiful, everyone go read her stuff she's a great writer!

Oh, thought of something, this chapter (at 3300 words) is the longest so far

Edit 5th June 06: Thanks to Fate's Dice Kyre for pointing out that ffnet mucked my formatting in the dream sequence, that's now fixed.

**Chapter Seven**

_All in all, _Decided Elphaba, two hours later, as she made her way back to Galinda's suite. _That went rather well. I won't be too sure about that until_ **_after_** _he talks to Nessa though. Now for Miss Galinda- no doubt I'd have more success trying to talk sensibly to Madame Morrible's pet cat (note the lower case 'c') but still, I told Nessa I would._

"Galinda? Are you in here? I wanted to talk to…oh! Hello…"

Elphaba started talking as she pulled the door open and her voice trailed off as she realised who was standing in the sitting room.

"Good evening." Said Fiyero politely.

_Doesn't he know you're supposed to _**sit**_ in the sitting room?_ Wondered Elphaba irrelevantly as she managed to calmly reply to his greeting.

"Good evening. Is Galinda in the bedroom?"

This was the first time since **that** History class that they had been alone together, 'alone' being a very relative term since Galinda was in the next room, but just as likely to be completely oblivious to what was going on outside her room.

_Was it really only yesterday?_ Wondered Fiyero of the eventful, to say the least, History class. _But then it feels like I've been at Shiz for longer than six nights as well._

"Miss Galinda disappeared into the bathroom about fifteen minutes ago to 'fix herself up' before we go out this evening."

_Oh **wonderful**_, Though Elphaba irritably. _That means she's locked the bedroom door as well and I'll have to stay out here with **him** or find some excuse to leave. I should tell him about the Lion before I go though…_

"Since you're here…"

"I was wondering…"

They started, and stopped, talking at the same time then looked at each other awkwardly.

"You go first." Offered Elphaba hastily.

"I was just going to ask how you were feeling after the drenching you got yesterday afternoon."

"Oh…fine…thank you for asking. I hope the…interruption didn't upset your dinner plans?"

"Not at all. The restaurant was quite pleasant and the company delightful as always. Now what were you going to say?"

Fiyero wouldn't normally have been so abrupt but he had a feeling that what she had to say was much less trivial than inquiries about her health and his dinner engagements.

"Oh…I went into the City last night - to see Doctor Dillamond, and Madame Morrible has already…spoken to me about it – anyway I happened to meet a…I suppose he must have been a relative of the one you took home and…well, I just thought I should pass on his thanks since you helped so much."

"Well," Said Fiyero, surprised by her words and not thinking anywhere near as much as he should have about his reply. "If **that** is _your_ idea of an intelligent action – going into the Animal Quarter of Shiz City after dark – I am no longer surprised that you don't consider me 'really stupid'. What ever possessed you to do something so...so…_reckless_?"

With considerable effort Elphaba managed to keep her voice and expression calm, though her tone did border on icy, as she replied to his exclamation.

"I was concerned for Doctor Dillamond, whom _I _consider a friend, after he was taken away from class. The irresponsible nature of my actions has already been quite thoroughly explained to me by our esteemed Headmistress who was gracious enough to **not** expel me on this occasion though she did inform me, quite forcefully, that any future transgressions would attract the harshest penalties.

The fact that someone who, as Miss Galinda informs me, has such a scandalacious reputation considers _my_ actions reckless merely reinforces my determination to avoid such behaviour in the future."

_How can someone who lost their temper so **spectacularly** in class speak so calmly about those things **now**?_ Wondered Fiyero. _That must have been some lecture she got from Morrible!_

He winced inwardly as he recalled his own lecture from Madame Morrible the day he arrived at Shiz.

_After arranging the party with his newfound friends Fiyero went, as requested, to the office of the Headmistress of Shiz University. It was just before evening meal time because the Headmistress had a prior engagement to teach on Second Day afternoons._

"_Prince Fiyero Tiggular to see you, Madame." Her secretary announced him then gestured for him to enter._

"_Good afternoon, Madame Morrible." said Fiyero charmingly as he entered the room. To his dismay she seemed unimpressed by his greeting._

"_Prince Tiggular. I have here your records from the last…" _

_She took a moment to flick through the pile of papers on her table._

_"…eight Universities you have attended. I asked you here today to inform you of the conditions under which I accepted your enrolment at Shiz University which, as you should know, is the most prestigious educational institution in Oz. No doubt you have been wondering **why** we accepted someone with such a poor academic record."_

"_The thought had crossed my mind." Agreed Fiyero. "And naturally I am very grateful that you did accept my application to attend Shiz."_

"_Of course. The only reason you are not in some other school, though I doubt if any of them would have you, is by the personal request of your father. Naturally such a lowly personage as myself could not refuse the personal request of the King of the West… **however** there were conditions, as I just mentioned, to my acceptance. _

_You have been enrolled in all of the classes you undertook at your last school and if you do not pass at least eighty percent of your classes by the end of this year I will have no choice but to ask you to leave Shiz. I have your timetable here. Do you have any questions?"_

_"No, Madame, you have made yourself quite clear. Thank you." Replied Fiyero politely._

So Father intervened, hmm? I wondered why he hadn't called me straight home.

_"Good afternoon to you then. I do not expect to see you in my office again unless it is to congratulate you on your academic proficiency."_

"Did she do that thing with her glasses?" asked Fiyero as he shook himself out of the daydream.

"Your pardon?" said Elphaba, using the Munchkinland abbreviation of 'I beg your pardon' without realising what she was doing. Both she and her sister had to make an effort to remember to speak like Central Ozians instead of in the Munchkinland dialect they picked up at home. Nessa found it easier because their father usually corrected the way she spoke whereas no one paid much attention to Elphaba.

"Morrible, when she talked to you, did she do that thing where she looks over her glasses at you? I swear that must teach that trick to all Head teachers because every one I have met has done it."

"Yes. _Madame _Morrible did do that when I spoke to her. I believe it would have been more effective if she hadn't spent an hour of our last lesson discussing methods of impressing people with your importance. Of course _I_ have not had _your_ experience with different teachers so I could not possibly offer an opinion on your assertion that all Head Teachers use such methods."

_Ouch! What a way to emphasise the fact that she has never been kicked out of a school. As if I care what she thinks of me anyway!_

"How do you know how many schools I've…been to?" asked Fiyero because he had no recollection of her being around when he had bragged about how many schools he'd been kicked out of.

"Miss Galinda is my roommate. She has been talking about you since you got here. Apparently you have quite a reputation in Central Oz and Gillikin."

"But not in Munchkinland?" he inquired, having immediately grasped the omission. Elphaba responded with a funny little shrug that was half shoulder movement and half hair toss.

"You would have to ask my sister about that, I certainly wouldn't know who does and doesn't have a reputation in Munchkinland."

_And that will suffice as an explanation,_ Decided Elphaba. _Because I am certainly not going to tell him that, until I came to Shiz, the furthest I've been from the house I was born in is the gardens of the same house._

"Yes. Munchkinlanders are a rather boring bunch, all in all, I can see why…"

_Way to forget your diplomacy classes, Fiyero. _He scolded himself when he realised how inappropriate his comment was.

"Oh don't stop now." Said Elphaba, all sweet sarcasm. "I find your opinions of my homeland absolutely _fascinating_."

"I meant no insult to you personally, Miss Elphaba. I can honestly say I have never been bored in _your _company."

"I'm certain you haven't."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Perhaps if you thought more, and spoke less, you would be able to say what you _did _mean."

"Perhaps I should just stop talking before I offend you even more."

"I would certainly have no complaints about that but don't feel that you have to restrain yourself for _my _benefit. I was just leaving anyway."

"Are you _always_ this infuriating?" snapped Fiyero.

"Only when I'm around you!" retorted Elphaba.

He opened his mouth; ready to reply just as sarcastically, then the bathroom door opened and both of them froze as Galinda walked into the room. Both of them managed to force their faces into more pleasant expressions before the blonde girl could realise they had been having a rather heated discussion.

"I'm ready!" she sang out cheerfully. "Oh Elphie, there you are! What are you doing out here?"

"You always lock the bedroom door when you're in the bathroom, Galinda. I just got back while you were in there."

"Oh how silly of me! I do apologise."

"It's nothing, Galinda, certainly not cause for an apology."

"Do you like my dress?" said Galinda, taking Elphaba's words at face value; she swirled around to show off the item of clothing.

"Well," said Elphaba unsurely. "It's very…pink. You look very nice as always."

"'Very nice'? Really Elphie is that the best you can do! This isn't_ just_ a very nice dress it's…oh there's no point lecturing you about fashion is there?"

"Definitely not." Agreed Elphaba quickly. "You two should go, so you aren't late."

"Why I do believe Miss Elphaba is in a hurry to get rid of us." Drawled Fiyero in an annoying manner that suggested he might be about to stay longer if he thought it would annoy her.

" 'Miss Elphaba' is in a hurry to study for the exam she has in Literature class on Fifth Day."

"I'm so glad I don't take such a dull class." Remarked Miss Galinda, oblivious of the undertones in the room. She smiled brilliantly at Fiyero. "Shall we go and leave Elphie to her study then?"

"Of course. We wouldn't want to interrupt something as _riveting_ as Literature now would we?"

"Don't hurry on my account." Muttered Elphaba. "Galinda, I'd like to talk to you when you get back, if you don't mind?"

"Certainly Elphie! Have fun with your study."

Galinda pulled a face that indicated she couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy studying something as tedious as Literature then smiled.

"I'll see you later!"

"Have fun Galinda."

"I will!"

"Good evening, Miss Elphaba."

"Good evening Fiyero."

As the pair left the room Elphaba wondered briefly if she should have reminded Galinda and Fiyero that they had a test in Protocol class tomorrow then she shrugged they were both technically adults they could sort themselves out.

* * *

_Elphaba walked through the hallways of the Governor's House, smiling, carrying a bunch of flowers in one hand. She reached a particular door in the family wing and pushed the door open then greeted the woman sitting by the window reading. _

"_Good morning, Mother!"_

"_Good afternoon is more like it." Scolded Melena Thropp. "It's halfway to evening."_

"_I brought you flowers." Said Elphaba, holding out the wild roses to her mother._

"_They're lovely, Fabala. Where did you get them? And where is your sister?"_

_"Father just got home from the Emerald City. She went to see what he brought back for her."_

"_He spoils her." Complained Melena without any real feeling. Elphaba shrugged and sat down next to her mother._

"_I think we make her feel left out sometimes. Father being so…obvious in his affection for her makes it easier."_

"_I love her just as much as I love you." Protested Melena, not for the first time but the argument was usually with her husband. "It's just that Frex loves her so much as well."_

"_You don't have to defend yourself to me." Elphaba assured her. "It isn't your fault she gets along with father. She does come to you when she wants to do womanly things – you know new clothes, or shoes, or jewellery, fixing her hair…"_

"_All the things you aren't interested in," noted Melena. "It seems to border on a miracle sometimes, that you and I have anything to talk about."_

"_Company is company." Replied Elphaba philosophically. "Speaking of which…has he changed his mind yet?"_

"_Not unless he did so while he was away."_

"_I still can't believe he agreed to let me go to University with Nessa. It's like a dream come true, I just know he's going to change his mind!"_

"_I have already written to the Headmistress myself explaining about Nessa and you. She wrote back to tell me that she is happy to accept **any **student, regardless of their differences, as long as they meet the academic standards of Shiz…She sounds like a right old bore to me."_

"_Mother!"_

"_She does!"_

_A clock struck in the corner of the room (and in the courtyard of Shiz University)._

"_Sweet Oz!" Exclaimed Melena. "Frex and I are supposed to be going to some dinner party tonight and I need to get ready!"_

_She stood up, hugged Elphaba, and kissed her daughter's cheek. "I'll see you later, Fabala."_

"_Good night, Mother."_

_Elphaba went back to her room and found she was looking into the full-length mirror, the only item invented by her imagination. _

"_It isn't real you know?" she said to her reflection. The Elphaba in the mirror looked back at her and shrugged, prompting the Elphaba in front of the mirrorto continue speaking._

"_It's just a dream, a fantasy, a creation of my mind, so why do I keep coming back?"_

"_You really think that you're too old to need to see her every night?" queried Elphaba-in-the-mirror._

"_I never remember it, anyway, when I wake up."_

"_You remember the other dreams, the ones that started after…after Mister Rabbit died."_

"_I remember everything about her so **why** can't I remember it when I dream about her?"_

As always her dream self's question was unanswerable. Elphaba woke up briefly before slipping into a dream of the other kind she had described to herself.

_Elphaba found herself in a room that looked like a small office, but for the fact everything in the room was green, it could have been a room in any part of Oz. She didn't recognise the man at the table but his guest, who had just entered the room, was **very** familiar._

"_Madame Morrible?" she exclaimed, "I don't know how I got here but…oh- she can't hear me!"_

"_Good evening, Madame." Said the man at the desk cheerfully. "I hope my message didn't inconvenience you too much?"_

"_Not at all, Your Ozness." Grovelled Morrible. Elphaba was too stunned to hear the conversation for a moment._

**_That is the Wizard? No! I must have misheard her._**

_"How is that promising pupil you wrote to me of turning out?" asked the man._

"_Not as well as I have hoped but I may have another student's services to offer you. She is not as powerful as the Governor's daughter…"_

_**Twice in two days, I might forget soon that it's only a name.**_

"…_But she is more suggestible and much more pleasant featured."_

"_A good image can be as good as, if not better than, real power." Agreed the man knowledgably. "The Lady's name?"_

"_Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. The niece of the Leader of the North, her older brother is his nominated Heir at this point in time."_

"_An excellent prospect, but when you last wrote you were most exuberant in your praise of Miss Elphaba."_

"_There was an…incident that showed she has not advanced in her studies as far as I hoped."_

"_She is not as powerful as you thought?"_

"_Quite the opposite. She is at least as powerful as I thought but she lacks control and she is too **independent **for my liking. For those two reason I have not yet suggested the level of her power to her. She is, however, quite enamoured of the idea of being asked to meet the Wizard at some point in the future."_

_"It's a good thing I called you here then, so we could discuss our options and the best course of action from here. For instance you mentioned that there was something that 'might be a problem in the future', what was that about?"_

"_Miss Elphaba is an unusual young woman and not just because of her strong magical talent. She is green."_

"_Green?"_

"_Her skin, all over, is the same colour as your wallpaper."_

"_My goodness me, I think the word 'problem' is an understatement in this case!"_

_"I wouldn't have even noticed her but for the exhibition of untrained magical power. I thought to myself 'if she can do that much without training imagine what she can do with it.' The problem, at the moment, is that she still needs training. Whether or not the people of Oz will accept her as your Magic Grand Vizier or whatever title you decide to give her is a problem for the future."_

"_But still, green?"_

"_The people of Oz love their Wizard, they'll believe you if you tell them that she is Good. And if they don't there's always Miss Upland, in the worst scenario she could be the face and voice representing the things that Elphaba – and herself to a lesser degree – can do for Oz."_

_The man who, it seemed to Elphaba, was almost certainly the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, nodded thoughtfully._

"_I see you know what you are doing, as always, Madame Morrible. Tell me- do these girls trust you?"_

"_They don't much like me but I do believe they trust me as their teacher, yes."_

"_Good. That will make it easier for you to **guide** them towards their future occupations."_

"_Elphaba is more likely to be troublesome than Miss Upland but I believe I can channel her energies in the right direction for her own good and the good of Oz."_

"_Excellent. I'm glad we had the opportunity to have this little talk. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm meeting with the Vinkus delegation at noon and I must prepare."_

"_Of course, your Ozness. With your permission I will remain in the Emerald Palace until the storm has passed."_

"_Naturally, naturally, have someone show you to a guest room and leave in the morning if you wish."_

"_I really should…" Morrible paused to think for a moment. "Actually I do think I will take you up on that offer, I'm conducting a little experiment at Shiz which requires my absence for at least a day."_

"_Very good then. Perhaps we can take tea or some such before you leave?"_

"_I would be exceedingly delighted, Your Greatness. Good day to you."_

_Elphaba watched in silence as the little man walked away, whistling, and Madame Morrible, after shooting one disconcerting look in her direction but showing no sign of having seen her, left the room as well._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

1. The Quadlings mentioned in this chapter are based on those in the book by Gregory Maguire.

2. I have no idea if Ozian girls have shampoo in the modern sense but the scene was too good to leave out.

3. Watch out for the angst/depressive bits later on.

4. The first person to utter the words 'update soon' will get a smack around the head with a big stick (metaphorically of course ;))

5. Virtual cookies to Anya for picking up the 'Ever After' movie reference

6. I really wasn't kidding about 4...

**Chapter Eight**

Galinda just made it back to her room, without Fiyero who'd gone straight to his own room before curfew. She smiled when she saw Elphaba at the desk near the window of the sitting room, asleep on her workbook. The blonde girl crossed the room and gently shook her friend's shoulder.

_My friend. That does sound funny! After all these months of hating Elphaba, suddenly we're friends!_

"Elphie. Wake up, Elphie-dear, you can't sleep there, you'll get a sore neck!"

"G' 'way, Galinda," muttered Elphaba, burying her face in her elbow.

"El-_phie_! Wake. Up!"

"All right!" replied Elphaba, snapping back to consciousness suddenly. "I'm awake, where's the fire?"

"There's no fire, Elphie. I just…I didn't think you should go to sleep at the desk."

"Why thank you, Miss Galinda," replied Elphaba; genuinely surprised that Galinda was still interested in her welfare. "I must have dozed off…"

Elphaba shuddered slightly as she remembered her dream about Madame Morrible.

_Imagine dreaming that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was just an ordinary man! How ridiculous!_

"Elphie? Are you cold?"

"No, no, I just had an odd dream, that's all."

Elphaba managed to smile at Galinda and changed the subject.

"How was your evening out?"

"Absolutely fantabulous! Fiyero is so wonderful, he's been here for a week and he already knows all the _best_ places to be seen at in Shiz! He took me to the most glamourific restaurant this evening, it was simply delightful!"

_I'm sorry I asked!_

"I see you made it back before curfew, if barely."

"Don't give me that look, Elphaba Thropp! Fiyero happens to be a _perfect_ gentleman!"

"If _he_ is a gentleman the standards are considerably lower than I thought they were!"

"Elphaba!"

"You told me his reputation yourself, Galinda, don't blame me for making assumptions based on that."

"But his reputation is just that. He's not quite like I expected him to be, he has very good manners."

_'Good manners' – a Gillikinese euphemism for 'doesn't put his hands where they shouldn't be unless he's invited' that's **something** I suppose._

"Good. If he hurts you I'll be very annoyed." Elphaba replied in a matter of fact manner. Despite her attempt at being casual Galinda recognised the words for what they were.

_She really is my friend! _The blonde girl realised excitedly. _I'm so glad!_

"It's _Fiyero_, silly girl, he wouldn't hurt me!"

Speaking out loud she made no acknowledgement of Elphaba's words but there was a sense of understanding in the way they looked at each other.

In spite of, or perhaps _because_ of, the rocky start to their relationship they had started something that would – in time- grow to be the strongest friendship either of them had ever known.

"I think he might love me," added Galinda. "I would never ask, of course, that simply is _not_ done- but I think he does."

"People hurt people they love," said Elphaba, hiding jealousy behind philosophy. "But I hope he does love you, you deserve to be loved by someone like him."

"Elphaba…"

Momentarily unsure what to say Galinda smiled instead and was relieved when the green girl smiled back. Shying away from any interpretation of her friend's words, surely they were just the usual good wishes given to someone in a new romance; she remembered something Elphaba had said earlier.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"What?" Elphaba blinked distractedly. "Apologies. Yes I did, but…"

How can I tell Galinda I don't want to talk about it now because she's in such a good mood? No, I promised Nessa I would talk to her so I have to do it. So I will. There. Simple.

"But?"

"It's late, you must be tired…"

"I'm not too tired to talk to you Elphie. Oh! I see, you think it's going to upset me don't you?

"Well yes…" she wanted to say it wasn't important but couldn't bring herself to lie to Galinda about something that _was _important. "It's about Master Boq."

"Who?" said Galinda with a tilt of her head and a slightly bemused expression.

Elphaba narrowed her eyes, a sure sign she was close to losing her temper and one that Galinda missed, and then sighed.

"_That_ remark is exactly my point. Master Boq is the young Munchkin you dumped on my sister."

"Oh I thought his name was Baq or Biq or something. Was Miss Nessarose upset? She seemed to be having fun at the party."

"Oh yes, Galinda," responded Elphaba, no longer able to hold her sarcasm at bay. "I'm sure it's a great deal of _fun_ watching the person who invited you to a party mooning over a beautiful, popular, _normal_ woman. Nessa thought that he invited her because he liked her and that you encouraged him to ask her because he was shy."

Elphaba's harsh, unrelenting, gaze made Galinda squirm visibly and she actually felt guilty about what she'd done even though it seemed like a perfect solution at the time.

"Now Master Boq is all confused – yes, I did talk to him, you hurt _his_ feelings as well – and so is my sister."

"You're angry with me aren't you Elphie?" asked Galinda in a young girlish voice that never failed to melt the hearts of her peers and acquaintances but had no effect on her roommate. "Does this mean we aren't friends again?"

"Yes, I am angry, and no, it does not mean we aren't friends Galinda but I am having my doubts. I'm thrilled that we don't hate each other anymore, really, and now that we've gotten to know each other I genuinely like you Galinda, I'm just not sure I can be friends with someone who treats other people that way."

It occurred to Galinda that, during the entire exchange, Elphaba didn't once mention the hat, which she was keeping on her bedside drawers, or the invitation to the party.

_She didn't mention the things I did to her, just Biq – I mean Boq – and Miss Nessarose. Oh why did I do such a silly thing? I knew Boq wasn't interested in Miss Nessarose and I encouraged him to ask her because I felt sorry for her and I wanted to get rid of him. It didn't seem so wrong at the time but it must have been because it made Elphie angry with me! Oh who am I trying to fool? Of course it was wrong but how can I make it up to them all!_

"I'll make it up to them! I promise, I will…but I don't really know how."

Galinda's genuine penitence softened Elphaba's heart towards the other girl, she clearly didn't realise until Elphaba pointed it out that she had done something wrong. Hesitantly she held out a hand to her roommate.

"Don't _cry_, Galinda, please!"

Galinda grasped Elphaba's hand urgently and tugged it until the taller girl stood up.

"I can't help it!" protested Galinda. "It's so silly but I can't stand the thought of you being disappointed in me, Elphie!"

"Oh Galinda, you are a goose sometimes! I'm not disappointed in you; I'm just worried about Nessa."

"Would it help if I…well, maybe I could apologise to her?"

"I think that would be nice."

"And Biq too."

"Boq, Galinda."

"Right, that's who I meant."

"Try to get it right when you talk to him."

"I will. Elphie?"

"Yes, Galinda?"

"Do you think I should write it on my hand so I don't forget?"

"I think he'd be a little offended if he noticed," replied Elphaba, stifling her laughter when she realised that the idea was spoken in earnest.

"Oh you are so smart Elphie! I never would have thought of that!"

"Galinda, you don't have to flatter me just because you think I'm upset with you."

"I'm not! It's true! You are so clever! I wouldn't dare flatter you without meaning it, Miss Elphaba Thropp."

"Oh really?"

Brilliant blue eyes stared seriously into soulful brown eyes and the blonde nodded slowly then explained.

"You see right through me. If I wasn't being genuine you'd know."

The moment was too intense, too intimate, for such a new friendship and the girls pulled apart hastily.

"It's probably because I'm a boring Munchkinlander," remarked Elphaba, drawing herself back from the moment. "We don't bother making things up to flatter each other while there's work to be done."

"I don't think you're boring Elphie!" declared Galinda, with a toss of her hair that made Elphaba snicker softly. She too was afraid to look to deeply into the implications of the moment they had shared. "Though Munchkinlanders in general are, but we can't all be Gillikinese!"

Elphaba put her hands on her hips, pretending to be offended and haughty.

"I shall have you know, Miss Galinda Upland, that I am just over one quarter Gillikinese!"

"How can you be 'just over a quarter' of anything?" asked Galinda. Fractions were not her strong point.

"Both of my paternal grandparents are half Gillikinese and half Munchkin, so my father is half and half as well, and my mother had some Gillikinese blood but I don't know the particulars of her pedigree."

That wasn't entirely true but Elphaba thought it was a little too soon in the friendship, even after the moment of closeness, to admit to Galinda – who most definitely suffered from the typical Central Ozian and Gillikin snobbishness in relation to certain bloodlines – that her maternal grandmother was a Quadling.

"How interesting it must be to have relatives in so many places!"

As soon as she spoke Galinda realised it was the wrong thing to say but Elphaba, thankfully, didn't get upset. She just smiled and answered politely.

"I couldn't say. I've never met any of them. Nessa says they are nice enough people but the Gillikinese are too snobbish and the Munchkins too deferential."

"Snobbish!" repeated Galinda in an almost unbearably high-pitched tone. She simply had to defend the honour of her people!

"We are not 'snobbish.' We're simply…simply…"

"Extremely select about whom you feel it is suitable to associate with?" suggested Elphaba.

"Exactly!" agreed Galinda then realised Elphaba was making fun of her, "No, wait, that isn't what I meant!"

"So what did you mean?"

"You made me forget!"

"Apologies."

"Your accent is _so_ quaint, Elphie!" Galinda informed the other girl with a laugh. "It's really quite sweet, the way you slip into that Eastern dialect without realising you're doing it."

"I'm thrilled that you approve," replied Elphaba, straight-faced. "And I am completely aware of the way I'm speaking, thank you. Sometimes I just can't be bothered remembering all the ridiculous phrases you Northerners invent and inflict on the rest of us because it's fashionable at the moment."

"_You_ are incorrigibly hopeless, Miss Elphaba!"

"_You_ have just used two words that mean the same thing next to each other, Miss Galinda."

Elphaba, and more surprisingly Galinda, had never had someone to exchange this sort of playful insults with. Both of them knew that what they said wasn't sincere, it was just the kind of game close friends could play, though to someone who didn't know how close they had grown in just a few days it might seem like they had, after a brief flush of friendship, reverted to their former enmity.

"I did not!" protested Galinda. "I did?"

Elphaba threw back her head and laughed, the first time Galinda had heard her do so when she_ wasn't _laughing maliciously at the blonde girl (usually after playing a prank on her.)

"Why, Miss Elphaba, look at you – you _do _know how to laugh and smile after all!"

Elphaba blushed, though Galinda couldn't tell, the words reminded her of the night after the dance when Galinda had said: 'Why look at you, Miss Elphaba, you're beautiful!' and the green girl had promptly run out of the room after seeing her reflection. As always she covered her feelings with sarcasm.

"When I have a reason to smile I am quite capable of it and I _do_ find you so terribly amusing."

"I couldn't help but notice that, like when you trip me over!"

"I only did that once!"

"Or when you sneak up on me!"

"You squeal. It's hilarious!"

"Pull faces at me!"

"Only when you're not looking! Can I help it if you turn around? And what about you? Always pointing at me giggling!"

"Well I do find you so _terribly_ amusing!" retorted Galinda with a giggle at her own cleverness.

"And you forgot to mention the time I put pink dye in your shampoo…"

"That was **_you_**!" wailed Galinda in outrage at the reference to the week she'd worn a hat and hair scarf everywhere because her hair was bright pink – she'd told her friends it was bad new style that she had to grow out.

"I was _using_ my ears! Who did you think it was?"

"Well I…I don't know, I just didn't think that…where did you even _get_ pink dye?"

"The kitchen."

"The kitchen? You put _food_ in my hair!"

"No. I put food _colouring_ in your shampoo. _You_ put it in your hair. Can I help it if you didn't notice the colour?"

"It's always that colour!"

"Oh _that_ explains it."

"I still can't believe you did that! I was so humiliated."

"I didn't particularly enjoy it when you tripped me down the stairs and half the school saw my underthings."

"Oh now it makes sense, I thought it was because of the time I put glue in your inkpot!"

"That was _you_?"

"Well who did you think it was?"

"Oh I don't know, Galinda, it could have been any person in the entire school."

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Miss Elphaba!"

"Would you rather I did this?" asked Elphaba and crossed her eyes in a rather grotesque manner.

"El_pha_ba! That is _ghastly_!"

Galinda scolded her roommate while giggling hysterically.

"I'll stop if you stop that hideous noise!"

"I happen to have a very charming laugh!" Galinda informed her proudly.

"Not when you're giggling like a milkmaid in a haystack with a shepherd!"

"Elphaba Thropp! What a scandalacious thing to say! Wherever do you learn such language?

She shrugged.

"I read a lot."

"People put things like that in books?" asked Galinda incredulously, now more curious than scandalised.

"If you actually _read_ books you'd know."

"But they're so dull!" protested Galinda.

"Only if you read the wrong ones!" Countered Elphaba. "Surely there are books you like? Like books about...clothes for instance?"

"Oh! Of course, I read all sorts of books about styles when I was studying at the Gillikin Institute, before I decided to go into Sorcery…but Madame Morrible refused my application."

"You stayed anyway?"

"Of course. And then you…why would you do that Elphaba?"

"You made Nessa happy." She explained simply.

"Why do you love her so much?"

Galinda hadn't meant to ask such a personal question of her friend, not so early in their friendship, but the question had been building up for weeks – even when she was ignoring Elphaba or laughing at her she couldn't help noticing the way her sister treated her.

"I know you blame yourself for what happened to her and your mother." She added on hastily, not sure if the comment would improve the situation.

Elphaba thought the question should make her leap angrily to the defence of herself and her sister but it didn't, she had to suppress a feeling of guilt on that score, and she answered in the simplest way she could while still fully answering the question.

"I'm the only mother _she_ has ever known."

That was a good start but it wasn't all of her reasoning and she held up her hand to prevent Galinda commenting on it. The second part was harder to say but Elphaba felt that Galinda had to know what sort of person she was offering her friendship to.

"She's the only person I've been _able_ to love since our mother died." She looked away from Galinda, out of the dark window, into the night. "I've tried to love my father, I'm still trying to please him."

For once in her life Galinda, who could not even _imagine_ what it was like not to love and be loved, kept her mouth shut and just listened – effectively allowing the conversation to turn into a monologue.

"I think Nessa loves me a little, in her own muddled up way, at least she notices me on a regular basis. The only time our father notices me is when I'm doing, or have done, something I'm not supposed to.

I loved Nessa the moment I saw her, just like my mother loved her sister, I didn't know then that she had been hurt during the birth as well. I only knew that Mother was gone and Nessa would never know her.

I know I'm not a very loveable person but I never really learned how to love people, or how to know if I do. I know I don't love my father but I do care about him. I know I feel guilty about my sister and I _think_ I love her but I have no basis of comparison except a four year old's memory of her mother saying 'I love you'."

Elphaba pressed one hand against the glass and stared at her reflection: midnight hair, dark eyes, and her ever-hated green skin.

"Sometimes I think that I was so young, I _must_ have imagined it. How could she have possibly loved _this_? It seems only logical that she only said it out of obligation if she said it at all. Logic is what makes sense, you know?

There are times though when my heart argues most vehemently with my logic and insists that a mother's love cannot be falsified, nor can the memory of it. I have to hold onto that memory, it means everything to me, it's the only proof I have that it is possible for anyone to love me."

Elphaba traced her reflection in the window with her spare hand and wondered out loud.

"How can anyone love me when I hate myself so much I can hardly stand to look in a mirror most days?"

A dozen shallow platitudes died on Galinda's lips, it was a new situation to hear such self-loathing expressed openly.

_Poor Galinda doesn't know what to say now._ Thought Elphaba as the pair stood in silence. _Probably trying to think of the best excuse to get out of here as quickly as possible._

_Poor Elphaba, she probably thinks I'm trying to think of an excuse to leave! I wish I could think of a single thing to say to make her feel better or…I don't know just help somehow! But then Mother always said 'if you can't improve the conversation it's better to stay silent' though I'm not sure that applies to this situation._

_I should tell her to go to bed._ Contemplated Elphaba. _She'll be over all of this by the morning and that will be the end of it._

_She's going to make me leave and then it will never be the same again._

"Galinda, I…"

"Elphaba, I…"

The girls spoke at the same time then stopped and fell into an awkward silence; Elphaba was still staring fixedly through the window rather than at her reflection in it and Galinda stood helplessly behind her.

"You should go to bed, Galinda, it's late."

"Don't push me away, Elphie."

Galinda had only meant to think the words but she ended up saying them out loud. Her pleading tone, similar but somehow more sincere than the one she used earlier, caught Elphaba's attention but wasn't enough to pull her away from the window.

"Are you close enough to push away? I don't have any experience, you must understand, in pushing people away. They usually manage to stay away all on their own."

There was an eerie, far away, quality in her voice that made Galinda shiver.

"You sound like you're miles away, Elphie. What is outside that window that fascinates you so?"

"The world."

"You can't see the whole world from one window." Galinda reminded her.

"It faces East. If I look hard enough I can almost see the place that was my whole world until I came here. I can count the number of times I left the grounds of the Governor's House on one hand you know?"

While Elphaba was talking Galinda, on a sudden impulse, slipped up behind her and put her hand on the taller girl's shoulder.

"Five times?" Galinda translated the explanation quietly, all the while thinking that it was impossible to imagine living in the same place for over twenty years and only leaving it five times.

"Two," replied Elphaba, still staring out of the window.

Galinda gently pushed Elphaba's shoulder until the girl sat down on the window seat then perched next to her. She ignored the fact that Elphaba still refused to look away from the window.

"Tell me about them, the two times you left."

"Why do you want to know?" replied Elphaba defensively. Galinda almost smiled, a defensive Elphaba was so much easier to deal with than this new, depressed, Elphaba.

"Because I'm interested, of course! Please Elphie?"

"It's not very interesting at all, you'll be bored in less than a minute!"

"The sooner you tell me the sooner I'll get bored and stop annoying you."

"If I ignore you long enough you'll get bored and stop annoying me."

"Not this time." Galinda said firmly. "I am completely resolved to making you talk to me, Elphie, and I'm going to sit here for as it takes!"

She shook her blonde curls and crossed her arms in what she hoped was a resolved fashion.

"Oh Galinda, you are adorable."

"Was that a compliment or an insult?" asked Galinda with a slight frown.

"Just an observation, dear girl, a simple observation."

"Now you're just being patronising!"

"Not intentionally, I assure you. Just trying to find a suitable nickname for you. I'm not having much luck. I guess one needs to have a knack for such things like you do."

"Well, my mother calls me…actually never mind I cannot in my most fanciful fancifications imagine you calling me by that nickname."

"I won't even ask, you'd only be offended when I laughed I'm sure."

"I'm quite sure you would laugh. I don't suppose you know what it's like to have a nickname."

"Well no, I wouldn't, I suppose," muttered Elphaba, drawing her knees up against her and returning to staring out of the window.

"Oh I'm sorry Elphie! I didn't think before I spoke!"

"It doesn't matter, Galinda, really. I don't care."

"Have you ever had a nickname? Before you met me I mean."

"My mother called me _Fabala_. It's nothing special, just the Quadling way of saying 'Elphaba'."

"Why would your mother use a Quadling nickname for you?"

"I imagine it had something to do with the fact that _her_ mother was a Quadling," replied Elphaba, without really considering her answer. "Oh Oz! Galinda, you must promise never to mention that to anyone especially my sister! Father has never told her and I don't know how she would react."

_Elphie and Nessarose are part Quadling? Goodness gracious I had no idea, not that it matters of course but…I never would have guessed and surely their mother must have looked more like an Easterner or it would be mentioned._

"You've gone quiet, Galinda."

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking. Miss Nessarose doesn't look very…well she looks like a Borderland Easterner."

"Don't hurt your head over it. Our mother didn't look like a Quadling either. It makes sense that Nessarose wouldn't."

"Anyway that's a pretty nickname, why doesn't your sis…actually never mind, that's a silly question. Miss Nessarose doesn't seem like she approves of nicknames…unless 'Nessa' counts?"

"I called her 'Nessie' up until she was about ten then she decided it wasn't grown up enough for her and insisted I call her Nessa as Father does."

"My mother _still_ calls me…by my nickname despite the fact I insist I am too old for it. In Gillikin it's considered a childish thing to have a nickname, from people older than you, once you've reached adult status but I suppose parents must be exempt from such things."

"Does that mean I can't give you a nickname because I'm older than you?" teased Elphaba.

"You know perfectly well that I meant people my parent's age. If you like me well enough to give me a _sensible_ nickname…"

"I must shudder away from the thought of the differences in our ideas of 'sensible'."

"…Then I would be very pleased. And stop mocking me when I'm trying to be serious!"

"You do it so rarely, I couldn't tell. Speaking of telling, what does your mother call you that is so embarrassing you won't even tell me?"

"I told you it's childish."

"Women are allowed to be childish in the middle of the night when they're alone with their close friend. It's a rule, you know?"

"You just made that up!"

"Perhaps. Don't you think it's a good rule though? Besides I told you mine and something you are called when you are five is bound to be more childish than something an older child is called."

"Will you tell me about the times you left home if I tell you this?"

"One of them," said Elphaba, offering a compromise. "And I'll let you choose which."

"Very well then," agreed Galinda, curiousity overcoming her fear of ridicule; it didn't occur to her that Elphaba was hardly likely to tease her over a nickname. She took a deep breath and began speaking.

"Ever since I was a young woman of around eight, before that I had a different nickname, my mother has called me…"

She stopped speaking when Elphaba, who had spent the entire conversation staring into the window, gasped loudly.

"Elphie? Are you all right?"

In the window Elphaba had seen not her reflection but a vision of a blonde girl, clearly a much younger Galinda, and a petite blonde woman who could only be her mother. They stood in the mother's garden and Elphaba heard her telling Galinda why she called her by that nickname and found herself repeating the words.

"Lynni, after the pink flowers that grow on the riverbank and in her garden. Oh Galinda your mother is so beautiful!"

"Elphaba how could you possibly…?"

"Sometimes…sometimes…I see things that have already happened, usually in dreams, and sometimes I see things that…that _might _happen. Most of the time I don't…don't realise _what _I saw until after it happens but sometimes it's so clear I can see every moment as it happens. It often happens that I can't tell what is a… vision I suppose is the correct word and what is just a dream like everyone has. At least not until something happens that fits in with what I saw but even then it can be a coincidence and…I'm talking too much aren't I? I'm sorry it's just that I'm nervous and I talk a lot when I'm nervous…see I'm doing it again!"

"You don't have to be nervous." Galinda managed to reply reassuringly despite the fact she was…well she _wasn't_ sure how she felt about what Elphaba had just told her beyond the fact that it was important that Elphaba did _not_ feel rejected when she was baring her soul to Galinda.

"Don't I?" asked Elphaba in a tone that was, frankly, nervous. "I mean you're not going to take a fit of hysterics or something are you?"

"No, Elphie, I'm honestly not! Though I did consider it for a few moments but only because I was surprised! I'm really not sure what to say, I've never heard of anyone having spontaneous Divination powers before and I read a lot of books about magic when I wrote my entrance essay! Mostly people use bowls of water, or crystal balls, or…but then you probably know all about Divination from your classes with Madame Morrible."

"No. I believe that falls under the heading of things she considers too advanced for a mere _student _to learn about. You probably know more about it than I do. I always though Divination was just seeing the future?"

"It is," replied Galinda, feeling very important because she knew the answer to one of Elphaba's questions for a change. "But it also means seeing things with magical sight, things that you wouldn't normally see, like the past or things that are happened in the present but out of your normal sight. Surely Madame Morrible told you this when you told her about…you didn't tell her did you?"

The shocked exclamation at the end of the straightforward explanation almost made Elphaba smile and she actually turned her head slightly so she could see Galinda, out of the corner of her eye, when she replied.

"No. I didn't tell Madame Morrible about the things I see and I would be most appreciative if you kept it between us."

"Of course!" agreed Galinda. "No use talking about something that is so imprecise it's not exactly…"

"Useful?" suggested Elphaba.

"Oh dear, that did not come out the way I meant it!"

"I know what you mean anyway." Elphaba reassured her friend with a brief handclasp. "I'm sorry I inflicted my dark mood on you, Galinda. They just come over me sometimes and normally there's no one around."

"I don't mind, Elphaba." To the blonde girl's surprise she really didn't despite her usual tendency to shy away from serious moods, in herself and her friends.

"You really don't do you?" realised Elphaba. "How strange for _you_ to react this way, Miss Galinda Upland of the _Upper_ Uplands. Could it be that you are not _entirely _shallow?"

"Well of all the…here I am trying to be nice to you and you start mocking the way I say my own name! Do I _really_ sound that dreadful?"

"Not at all. You have a much prettier voice than I do and much more practice saying your formal name I'm sure."

"Momsie used to make me practice saying it every day until it came naturally every time I was asked to introduce myself. What is your full formal name? I know Munchkinlanders and Border Landers have a different way of introducing themselves."

"Elphaba Liana Hadar Thropp," replied Elphaba somewhat self-consciously. "I've never used it. I only know it because my mother told me once and it stuck in my mind. Liana was my mother's mother and Hadar was my mother's name before she married."

"Liyana," said Galinda slowly, not realising she was mispronouncing the name. "That's pretty."

Elphaba considered telling her that the correct pronunciation was "Lee-ah-na" but decided not to spoil the moment with such pettiness.

"Thank you."

The conversation lapsed again until Galinda remembered something Elphaba had said not long ago.

"You said you'd tell me about one of the times you were away from home." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "But you don't have to because I didn't actually _tell_ you."

**AN:** and I'm making a conscious decision to end the chapter here because I think that 5000 words is quite sufficient an update from someone who should be doing her homework!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba **_didn't_** get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note:** This chapter features a book quote, a musical quote, and several pieces of mangled mythology from all about the place. If you recognise it it's not mine.

**Chapter Nine**

"When I was three years old, and you must understand, dearest Galinda, that I have a very clear memory of that time, my mother took me to the hill country. There was a cabin by the lake and we spent the entire summer there, just the two of us. I don't mind telling you my mother was a very mediocre cook but it didn't matter because she was there.

One day, I would guess about a week into the trip, I was playing on the veranda of the cabin while Mother was reading and I decided to climb onto the railing and look at the lake. The water was right next to cabin, you see, it was built on a base of rocks. I fell in, I didn't know how to swim, and my mother just…I don't even know how she moved so quickly but she jumped in after me and pulled me out. After that I was afraid to go near the lake again until she told me she would always be there to pull me out.

The very next day she taught me how to swim and we spent most of our holiday in the lake playing 'catch me' with the local Bird life. Mother was always polite to the Animals we met and there were so many of them around that area then. Swans, Ducks, Herons, the most adorable family of Otters, even the shy Deer came down a few times when we were there. Mother told me to be kind and respectful, but never condescending, to Animals.

It was purely magical, the kind of magic that comes from spending time with someone you love. I still don't know how my mother convinced father to let her take me away for so long.

And that's about all there is to it. No earth shattering revelations, just a mother and her daughter alone in the semi-wilderness for a summer. But it's one of the most wonderful memories of my life. I particularly remember my mother calling me 'her beautiful _Fabala_' on several occasions."

As Elphaba spoke Galinda could see, as clearly as if she'd been there herself, everything that that she described to her. A beautifully carefree summer, a loving relationship between a mother and her child, and Galinda just _knew_ in a way that defied explanation that Melena Thropp had truly loved her daughter.

"That's so beautiful, Elphie. Your mother must have loved you, I am quite sure of it. I know you fear that you just imagined it but I am certain, in depths of my heart, that she loved you and you can not convince me otherwise."

"I shall not try it then," replied Elphaba, feeling reassured and a good deal happier about things then she had before she shared all of these thoughts and feelings with her roommate.

_No, silly girl,_ she told herself, _not just your roommate but your **friend** as well!_

"Thank you, Galinda."

The deep booming of the courtyard clock striking the hour cut off Galinda's reply.

"You're very welcome!" said Galinda quickly. "We'd better move to our room before the room monitor comes around."

The Shiz University hall monitors were not particularly scrupulous about the private suites; as long as the sitting room lights were out and there was no audible noise from inside they took no action.

"Yes, of course," agreed Elphaba. She looked into the window, past her reflection not at it, one last time then followed Galinda into the bedroom.

As per the routine of the last few months, which they hadn't yet gotten around to consciously changing, Galinda took herself and her nightgown off to the bathroom while Elphaba changed in the bedroom.

Elphaba was halfway to the window seat with a book before she remembered that Galinda actually spoke to her now instead of pointedly ignoring her.

Galinda actually winced when she saw opened the door and saw Elphaba halfway to the window seat, with her back to the blonde girl.

_Does this mean she doesn't want to be friends after all?_ She wondered nervously.

"What are you reading?" asked Galinda brightly, her cheerful tone not fooling either of them for a moment.

"Well I'm not exactly reading it I was just…I wasn't even thinking about it I was just…" she shrugged helplessly and turned to face Galinda with a somewhat sheepish expression on her face. "It's just what I do."

"I know _exactly_ what you mean," admitted Galinda. "I was about to do what I used to do as well but we don't…that is it doesn't have to be that way now does it?"

"It is too late to ask that question," replied Elphaba decisively, after thinking so much upon the question that Galinda was almost afraid to have her answer. She gently placed her book on the bed with out taking her eyes from the other girls face then she smiled, as she rarely did, and explained.

"It's far too late to ask if it has to be _that_ way when it so clearly is not. Really, Galinda, you have overcomplicated things, as always. The situation is simple: we were not friends and now we are, it is very new to both of us – particularly one of us- so we can forgive each other for any small lapses of memory until we get used to the change of circumstance. Now let us both get to our beds and sleep for the sake of the classes we must sit through tomorrow."

"I couldn't possibly go to sleep _yet_," protested Galinda, "Let's stay up and talk instead!"

As infectious as Galinda's enthusiasm was Elphaba tried, one more time, to convince her to go to bed.

"Can't it wait until next Sixth Day when we don't have a class at Ninth Hour and a Protocol test along with that?"

"We have a test in Protocol?" shrieked Galinda. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're a twenty year old college student," pointed out Elphaba, "I didn't t think you needed to be reminded of these things. In any case, it's not as though _you_ need to study for Protocol, I don't know why you even bother taking that class."

"Oh, because it's a requirement and…the point is you didn't tell me we had a test! I bet you would have reminded Nessa!"

"Of course I reminded Nessa she cares so little for learning that she needs to be. _You,_ on the other hand, just pretend to be disinterested in learning to fit in with your friends and are quite capable of remembering that we have a test tomorrow on your own."

"Well, I, err…" Galinda stammered her way through half a sentence, taken aback by Elphaba's almost brutal honesty. "That was a silly thing to say, let's forget it."

"It's forgotten," agreed Elphaba, simply thankful she had been saved from keeping Galinda amused until she decided she was tired. "Go to sleep.'

The girls exchanged 'goodnights' and put out the lights, all seemed to be well enough now.

The silence was broken half an hour later by Galinda's plaintive complaint of:

"Elphie, I can't sleep!"

Elphaba, who had been almost asleep, rolled her eyes without any real annoyance and smiled into the darkness.

"Why not?" she asked simply.

Galinda blinked, Elphaba could practically hear her thinking, and then she replied in one of her puzzled tones.

"Does it matter? The point is I'm awake."

"Are you awake because you don't feel well?"

"No, I'm just not asleep, there's nothing wrong."

"Well what do you want _me_ to do about it?"

"Talk to me," responded Galinda as if it were obvious.

"About _what_? If you start on about clothes or something that will just put _me_ to sleep and you'll still be awake."

"How do you get to sleep when you're having trouble dozing off?"

"I don't," replied Elphaba, rather unhelpfully. "I sleep or I don't, I've never tried to do anything about it. Now that we've established I can't help would you be so kind as to either tell me how or let _me_ sleep? Though I suppose if matters get desperate enough I could recite our Literature text and put us _both_ to sleep!"

"Oh Miss Elphaba, you are dreadful!"

"You're only saying that because the teacher is Gillikinese and the text as well."

"It is one of the more dull texts, though," conceded Galinda, because she didn't want Elphaba to start ignoring her. "Let's not talk about that unless we're desperate!"

"I agree completely."

Galinda sighed in a rather huffy manner when it became obvious that Elphaba wasn't going to make an effort to entertain her.

"What do you normally do when you can't sleep?" asked Elphaba.

"Drink warm milk but obviously I can't go to the kitchen at this time of night," sighed Galinda. "At home sometimes I would go to the Chapel of Saint Glinda, don't you dare laugh, and it's so peaceful that it makes me feel rested."

"Why should I laugh at you?"

"I didn't mean to tell you about the Chapel," replied Galinda sounding embarrassed.

"I just don't see why but if you tell me it's because it's unfashionable, or something silly like that, I'll throw my pillow at you!"

"Oh nothing like that! It's just that a lot of people go to the cathedral in Shiz City every Rest Day, even though it isn't compulsory, but I have never seen you there so I just assumed…"

"That I was an unrepentant pagan with no respect for anyone else's beliefs?" offered Elphaba.

"Sort of, yes," agreed Galinda reluctantly. "I don't mean to judge you for that though, everyone has the right to choose if they believe in the Unnamed God or not and I'm certainly not sure if I believe in _that_ precisely or if it is just a name for what I _do_ believe in."

"I believe that there is something that made the world, and everything in it, and that the same _something_ chooses when everything in the world is born and dies but I don't know what it is called. I don't go to the church with you and the others because I have another church."

"I didn't know there was more than one in Shiz City," said Galinda. "Where is it, Elphaba? Will you take me there sometime?"

"You could see it right now," said Elphaba, as she slid out of bed and opened the curtains so Galinda could see her silhouette in the light of the moon and stars.

"I don't understand," murmured Galinda.

"The world is _my_ Cathedral, Galinda, everywhere I look I see the wonders Created at the beginning of time. The music I hear in the sounds of nature is the only hymns I need to remind of the One who made the world. I honour the Creator with my heart and spirit; I cannot believe, whatever and wherever It is, that It is offended by this. I don't claim that my way is the right way, or the only way, I know only that it is _my_ way and it feels right for me."

Lest the mood become too sombre after her short declaration Elphaba laughed softly and added:

"And it leaves me with a free Rest Day to spend as I like."

"What about your sister?" asked Galinda curiously, too tired for an extensive theological debate she decided to keep quiet about Elphaba's beliefs.

_After all, I am not sure what I believe so I can hardly judge her._

"Nessa prefers to spend Rest Day mornings alone, or with Father at home, to perform her devotions. It's one of the few times she doesn't need me to be around so I leave her to it, she tells me that she prays for my soul and I ignore her. I could tell her that I don't believe my soul to be in any danger but why ruin her fun? Let her feel like a she's doing something for my spiritual wellbeing if it makes her happy, I say. Now let's find something else to talk about shall we? Tell me about the Chapel of Saint Glinda, you were named for her weren't you?"

"Yes, I was named for her," confirmed Galinda, "that's why a lot of people get my name wrong but anyway…the Chapel is one of the most beautiful buildings in Gillikin if not all of Oz. People come from all over to see it, you know, and it's such a simple building from the outside. It has a domed roof, supported by four pillars, from the outside it looks like the walls are made of pieces of stone all joined together in particular way but when you get inside…"

Galinda's voice trailed off for a few moments as she re-remembered the brilliance, the sheer genius, of the inside.

"It's like standing inside a rainbow. The windows are made of stained glass, set in patterns, and they have these mirrors – I don't really know how they work – but they reflect the light all through the room, it's one big circular room, and there are just colours everywhere. Even at night the colours are there, as long as there is moonlight. At night the colours are different, they welcome you, make you feel at peace, safe and warm like…like…"

Her voice trailed off again, what could she compare that feeling to?

"Like the colours of all the love in the world," whispered Elphaba softly. "You describe it so well I can almost _see_ it, dear Galinda-Glinda-Lynni-_Gaia_, it must feel as though She is there herself."

"What did you call me?" asked Galinda, after nodding an agreement that Elphaba couldn't see.

"_Gaia_," replied Elphaba, deliberately cryptic, she knew Galinda wanted to know more than that.

"Well what does that mean?" demanded the blonde girl.

Elphaba smiled as she crossed the room and sat on the edge of Galinda's bed.

"If I tell you will you go to sleep?"

"I won't go to sleep if you don't tell me," countered Galinda.

"Good enough," replied Elphaba with a shrug. Galinda snuggled down under her blankets and lay on her side so she could see Elphaba's silhouette in the moonlight and watch as she spoke. And speak she did, in words first heard from her own mother in those glorious summer days of her childhood, in a soft, low, tone that was as mysterious to Galinda as the girl herself.

"In the North, she is Saint Glinda, Patroness and Protectress, worshipped by all in the Chapels and Cathedrals of stone and glass," began Elphaba, reiterating what Galinda already knew.

"In the South, where the Quadlings live, where my mother was born, she is _Gaia_, Great Mother, the First among the Ancestors, and they worship Her above all. Not in places of stone and glass but in the homes that rot gently into the swamps, in the harvest, in the blowing of the glass, in all that is done to honour their Ancestors. She is the Mother of the entire World and so She is venerated above all others."

That was all there was to say but Galinda had fallen asleep sometime during the explanation so no more _needed_ to be said.

_Well, _thought Elphaba, _Perhaps one more thing._

She smiled and whispered a Quadling prayer to _Gaia._

"_Yeka Dala, Adaré yu soraa aez kaelm daér és daét caam._" 

It was a prayer she said every night but this time she asked the Great Mother to watch over _both_ of her sisters.

* * *

The next morning saw Elphaba slipping out of bed an hour before the sun rose, as she had since she came to Shiz and discovered that she woke up at the time of sunrise at home, she smiled at Galinda's sleeping form and went into the bathroom to clean up and put her uniform on. 

She hummed a little song to herself as she thought about what she'd do until Eighth Hour, the time she'd agreed to meet Nessa to help her study for the Protocol test.

_A walk in the gardens before anyone else is up_, she decided, _it's nice enough when there's no one around to watch you._

By the time Elphaba reached the garden there was a bare hint of predawn light that only made the shadows seem darker but the shadows had never bothered her anyway. She sat down under a willow tree, on a stone bench provided for just that purpose, and enjoyed the slight chill in the air and the smell of damp grass.

"Good morning," murmured a soft voice, interrupting her solitude.

"It started with such promise," she replied, looking around for the speaker. When she saw that it was a Cat, sitting on the other half of the bench, she apologised. "Your pardon, I thought you were a fellow student come to irritate me."

"Neither fellow nor student," she replied with the closest expression to a smile manageable by a Cat. "I am Fali, your friend in the city sent me to speak to you. We hope there is something you can help us with, without compromising your own position in this place."

"If I can help I will," replied Elphaba immediately and with such genuine enthusiasm that the Cat could not fault her willingness.

"A group of three Goats are going to be accused of a crime they didn't commit and arrested later today, we need a place for them hide until tonight and it must be outside the city."

"Goats?" repeated Elphaba. "Is Doctor Dillamond in danger?"

"They are members of his flock, he is safe for now."

"The University keeps a flock of goats in a large pasture about ten minutes walk from here, for the Agricultural students and the noble girls who want to play at farming. I've spent a few odd hours down there and, as far as I can tell, no one watches over the goats and there are enough of them that three more would go unnoticed."

"You do realise that, just by telling me this, you are helping those who are considered criminals escape the Wizard's justice?"

_Is that an accusation or a warning? _Wondered Elphaba, thinking quickly. _Is this a trap or a test?_

"I am quite aware of all the possible consequences of my actions," she informed the Cat in a cold, formal, tone. "If I was not prepared to risk those things I would not have offered Doctor Dillamond my help."

"You're proud and wilful," remarked the Cat. "I like it, it's a very proper attitude, no matter what Humans and other Animals say. Your name won't be mentioned to anyone involved but let me tell you that they will be grateful."

"They, and you, are welcome," replied Elphaba, deciding that she rather liked Fali. "I'm glad to be able to help, even in this small way."

"I have to go now, and get them to the place before it gets too late. We will speak again, you and I, I am certain we will. Good day to you."

"And to you," replied Elphaba, as the Cat disappeared into the dark garden. She felt a flush of pride in herself that she, Elphaba Thropp, had done something for the greater good.

For the briefest moment she could almost hear Galinda say 'Elphie please, you can't go against the Wizard of Oz.' And she had a vision that wasn't quite a vision like she'd had before of the two of them _somewhere_ else.

She shook her head and the vague scene was gone, only the words remained and the memory-echo of her reply which she whispered into the silence of the garden.

"I have to."

* * *

**AN: **This goes at the end of the chapter to avoid giving spoilers at the beginning. First of all the Quadling language and any Quadling culture that _isn't_ from the book/musical does belong to me and if people take it I shall not be very happy. 

The literal translation of Elphaba's Prayer: Great Mother, Bless my sisters and guard them as they sleep.

For anyone who is interested: the book quote was the part about 'houses rotting in the swamps/ancestor worship' etc, I I took that straight from the paragraph where Turtleheart is telling Melena about his people.

The two lines of dialogue at the end of the chapter are directly quoted from the PreBroadway lyrics of Defying Gravity.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba _didn't_ get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note:** I did have something to say but do you think I can remember? Ah well, thansk to everyone who reviews especially the lovely girls who proofread for me

**Chapter Ten**

Miss Galinda Upland, of the _Upper _Uplands, was a young woman blessed with the ability to sleep peacefully through just about any difficulty so she was quite confused when she woke up feeling apprehensive. It was something that had never happened to her before and it took a moment before she remembered the events of the evening before and the promise she had made to here roommate, and now close friend, to apologise to Miss Nessarose and Master Boq.

_Oh Oz, what was I thinking? I can't even remember the last time I **had** to apologise to someone, let alone the last time I actually meant it!_

As the short blonde girl climbed out of bed and rubbed her eyes, noting in passing that Elphie had left already, a part of her mind that she rarely paid attention responded to her first thought.

I was thinking that Elphie was right. What I did was wrong and I'm stupider than I thought because I needed that pointed out to me

_I'm not stupid! Everyone does that sort of thing at home!_

_But college students aren't Gillikin nobility, at least not many of them are, and just because it's the Gillikin way – that doesn't mean it's the **right** way!_

_It doesn't mean it's the wrong way either and at home no one would even **consider** asking me to apologise to someone!_

_Elphie isn't 'no one'._

_She said herself she's part Gillikinese._

_But she was raised as a Munchkinlander._

_If you can call that an upbringing._

_I'd like to see **you** have half the strength she does in similar circumstances, Galinda Upland! I'd like to see you walk into a school full of strangers when you'd only left the house you were born in twice before in your entire **life**!_

_That's not the point. The point is that she doesn't understand about how these things work!_

_No, Galinda, the point is that **you** don't want to admit that you were wrong!_

"Oh why don't you be quiet?" muttered Galinda.

"Well," remarked Elphaba, with raised eyebrows, from her side of the room. "I wasn't aware that I was making any noise but if I'm disturbing your hair brushing I'm happy to leave."

"Elphie!" squawked Galinda. "How long have you been here?"

"About ten minutes, I got here just after you sat down and started brushing your hair, I'm looking for my Protocol notes. Have you seen them?"

"I don't even know where _my_ Protocol notes are…"

"You take notes in class?"

"I was just illustrating the point that I would have no idea what _your_ notes look like, particularly if they are written in you usual handwriting."

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed."

"Why do you need them anyway? The test is an hour away and I can't believe that _you_ didn't study for the test already."

"For Nessa," replied Elphaba, distractedly pawing through one of her notebooks. "I promised to help her revise and it upsets her when I just _tell_ her what the Professor said. She says I shouldn't show off just because I have a good memory and she doesn't. Are you sure you haven't seen them?"

_Well I can hardly fault Nessarose for saying that Elphaba shows off when I've been thinking, and saying, the same things myself but really you would think she'd have at least a **little** of the sense of family loyalty that Elphie does._

"Oz to Galinda, are you still with me here or have you gone back to deciding whether your hair needs washing?"

"Does it?" replied Galinda automatically, before she realised that Elphaba was teasing her. "Elphie!"

"Your hair looks fine," replied Elphaba (almost) seriously. "Have you seen my notes or not?"

"They all look the same to me and…"

Outside the clock struck the quarter-hour and Galinda jumped.

"Elphie! I have to get ready, I only have half an hour!"

Galinda happened to catch sight of the fact that Elphaba was watching her, as the blonde turned back to her mirror and saw her taller roommate's reflection. She looked thoughtful, which was hardly unusual, but this was the first time (at least that Galinda was aware of) that Elphaba had looked so thoughtfully _at_ her.

"Was there something else?"

Elphaba blinked, shook her head mutely, then changed her mind and nodded with less force.

"I just wanted to say that…I mean I know I asked you to but…"

She took a deep breath and forced herself to start again in a more comprehensible manner.

"What I'm trying to say is that I don't want you to talk to Boq and Nessarose _just_ because I was angry about what you did."

Before Galinda could fully comprehend her words, let alone respond in any way, Elphaba – notebook in hand – had departed the suite.

"Oh thank you so much, Elphie," she muttered in the mockingtone that was as close as the perky blonde came to sarcasm, most of the time. "Just when I decided to ignore you _and_ my conscience, you give me a choice, anyway, and make me feel bad!"

Galinda had no way of knowing that Elphaba's words weren't the ploy to make her feel guilty that she first assumed them to be but an admission of the fact that _Elphaba_ felt guilty about pushing Galinda into doing something against her nature.

_Miss Galinda looks perfect, as always,_ thought Master Boq as he watched the blonde girl saunter across the quadrangle towards the Protocol classroom. He was sitting outside his Science classroom, waiting for the Professor to arrive.

"Good morning, Miss Galinda!" he called out, half hopeful, half expecting to be ignored. He was rather surprised to see that, rather than going to her classroom, Galinda was walking towards _him_.

"Good morning, Master Boq," said Galinda – it had only taken her the entire walk from her room to the classroom to remember _what_ his name was. "I hope I find you well today?"

"Tolerably, thank you," replied Boq nervously, he hated trying to make small talk with _anyone_ but Miss Galinda and Miss Elphaba had to be the worst.

"I was wondering if I might take up a moment of your time," said Galinda formally.

"Why I, of course, I am always honoured to talk to _you_, Miss Galinda."

"Yes," said Galinda quietly, "That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Would you like to sit down, Miss Galinda?" asked Boq, concerned by her demeanor. "You don't look well."

"No, no," Galinda forced a smile. "This won't take long. It's about that day last week, when Fiyero arrived."

"What about it?" asked Boq, wondering what she could possibly have to say that hadn't already been made obvious. Everyone at Shiz knew that Galinda Upland and Fiyero Tiggular were a couple.

"I owe you an apology," said Galinda simply. The only thing that could have surprised Boq more (consequently the thing _most_ likely never to be said) would have been if she had said she wanted him instead of Fiyero.

"You…you do?" he managed to stammer out the short question.

_He doesn't even know why I'm apologising? _Galinda's mental exclamation was not visible on her face; she smiled pleasantly as she explained.

"I talked you into taking Miss Nessarose to the party at the Ozdust Ballroom," explained Galinda in an unusually serious tone. " I know you didn't really want to, that you only did it to impress me, and I only asked you to do it because I wanted to be alone with Fiyero. So I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for putting you into that position and I hope we can be friends without that coming between us."

I never imagined she would…I knew she was just trying to get rid of me but she wants to be friends now?

"Well, I don't know what to say. Of course I accept your apology, Miss Galinda, but I have to know- is it because I'm a Munchkin? Or is there some other reason I'm not…not good enough for you?"

It was obvious, even to Galinda, that it took all of the Munchkin's courage to ask her that question and she had to admire him for that even if she considered him more of a nuisance than anything.

What a good thing it is that I anticipated this question so I can give him a reason that is true and helps me avoid too much awkwardness.

"It's not any _one_ thing," she said, rather ambiguously. "I know I don't _seem_ like a complex person but I am and my feelings are complex as well. It doesn't matter where a person comes from, that doesn't determine how you feel about them and what I feel about you, Boq, is that we could be friends but nothing more."

_She remembers my name?_ Thought Boq as he tried to decide how to answer Galinda's explanation. _She's still beautiful but she seems different than when I first saw her, I wonder why?_

"I don't mean to rush you but my class is going to start soon," said Galinda impatiently, _that_ made her sound much more like herself.

"Your pardon," said Boq, in the same Munchkinlander accent that Elphaba slipped into occasionally. "I would be honoured to have you consider me a friend and to consider you one in return."

"Wonderful!" replied Galinda with a bright smile, "Have a nice day, Boq!"

Boq watched in wistful silence as Galinda sashayed across the courtyard and was immediately enveloped by a group of giggling young women.

"Their confidence in passing the exam we have in less than five minutes is quite disgusting."

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba," said Boq, surprised that she had talked to him outside of their usual study session. "Where is Miss Nessarose this morning?"

Elphaba caught the nervous note in his voice and smiled reassuringly.

"She's lost in that mob somewhere. We didn't arrive together. Excuse me, I see the rest of your class heading this way."

Boq managed to bid her a hasty 'good day' as she disappeared into the shadows of the building and slipped into the Protocol classroom.

Elphaba was the first person into the classroom, Nessa was pushed in by one of her friends, and the rest of the class piled into the room when the professor arrived. As Galinda passed Elphaba's desk she muttered a barely audible request for her to keep Nessa in the classroom after the exam.

Galinda actually managed to put aside her concerns about talking, or not talking, to Nessarose while she finished her exam. It was really quite lucky that this whole incident occurred just prior to a Protocol exam, it was the one subject that Galinda always got top marks in and she was only taking the class because her mother felt that she should have a full overview of Ozian Protocol as opposed to the Gillikin biased Protocols she learned from her Governess.

Of course it also meant that she finished well before the class ended, no one was allowed to leave early, and she was stuck there with nothing to do but think about what she would say to Miss Nessarose Thropp.

_It's not like it's** my **fault anyway, _she tried to rationalise the idea of **not** apologising to Elphaba's sister. _Anyone with eyes could see that Boq has been infatuated with me since I got here, you'd have to be **very** naive to believe he'd get over **me** so quickly!_

_But then she was probably nearly as sheltered as her sister, growing up, so she probably is **that** naïve…and this silent dialogue is very familiar, don't you think?_

_Apologising to Boq is different to apologising to Miss Nessarose!_

_Why? Because **she** outranks you and he doesn't? Or because she is less likely to **accept** your apologies?_

_Why shouldn't she accept my apology? She should be grateful I'm even bothering to talk to her! Just because she outranks me doesn't mean I am **obliged** to apologise to her, not unless she brought it up first, which she has not. _

_But you weren't going to apologise to her because you feel bad about taking advantage of her infatuation with Boq, even though you **do** feel bad about it, you were going to apologise to her because **Elphaba** asked you to._

_She said I don't have to just for her._

_It isn't **just** for her though._

Before Galinda could embarrass herself, once again, by telling herself to shut up again the courtyard bell rang and the professor announced that the class had ended.

_Well, I guess this is it; I'm just going to get it over with._

Galinda took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and spoke very clearly to make her voice heard above the general chatter of students leaving the room.

"Miss Nessarose, might I take a moment of your time before you go to lunch?"

"Of course, Miss Galinda," agreed Nessarose politely. "Elphaba, you don't need to wait for me, I can take myself to lunch."

"If you're sure," said Elphaba, picking up her bag with feigned disinterest. "I shall see you at History then."

Galinda waited until Elphaba, always the last person out of a room, was gone then sat down next to Nessarose.

"Elphaba put you up to this," said Nessa as soon as Galinda had taken a seat and before she could speak.

"I…what?" Galinda had to mentally backtrack from what she was going to say to what Nessa had said. "I do beg your pardon, Miss Nessarose, I'm not quite sure to what you are referring."

"Please let us be honest with each other, Miss Galinda. It is highly unlikely that you would seek my company of your own volition so I can only assume that my _dear _sister somehow talked you into staying back here to talk to me."

Galinda nearly winced at the sheer venom in Nessa's voice when she referred to her sister but managed to control the movement.

"It is certainly true that I am here _because_ of a talk with Miss Elphaba but she certainly did not _force_ me to come – as if anyone could do such a thing. I owe you an apology, Miss Nessarose, and I feel honour bound to fulfil the debt."

Nessarose was, very obviously, set off balance by this statement; an apology from Miss Galinda Upland was _not_ what she was expecting.

"It seems I must beg your pardon, Miss Galinda," said Nessa, sounding entirely unhappy with the idea. "I'm afraid I misjudged your intentions somewhat."

"That is not necessary, Miss Nessarose, I'm sure you had your reasons for what you assumed. If you will allow me I will tell you exactly why I am here."

Galinda absolutely detested being so subservient to anyone, it made her skin crawl in a very distasteful manner, but she was determined to get this unpleasant dialogue over and done as quickly as possible so she chose the method that seemed to ensure that aim – making Nessarose feel like _she_ was in control of the conversation. As she predicted as soon as Nessa felt that she was in command she became much more gracious and less disgruntled.

"Of course, Miss Galinda, please go ahead and speak your piece."

"I'm sure you would not appreciate any attempt I might make to sugar-coat what I'm going to say so I shall come straight out and say it. I am here to say that I'm sorry that I encouraged Master Boq to invite you to Fiyero's party because I did not want him following _me _around all evening.

You seemed to be having so much fun at the party that I didn't think anything of it but it has been recently pointed out to me that your new acquaintance with Master Boq has not turned out as well as I, and you I would suppose, expected it to."

_She really did put him up to it,_ thought Nessa in dismay. _I was hoping there might be something, anything, else she could want to talk about. Still I'm not going let **her** see how upset I am, as if she needs a reason to make fun of me. No one will know anyway, it's not as if she's going to tell people about something that makes her look so spiteful._

"Thank you for your honesty, Miss Galinda," said Nessa, with perfect posture and an icy polite tone. "I accept your apology."

"I'm pleased that we were able to sort this little misunderstanding," replied Galinda with equally polite formality. She stood up and smiled politely, but not warmly.

"Good day, Miss Nessarose."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba _didn't_ get invited to the Emerald City straight after _I'm Not That Girl_?

**Author's note:** This chapter is 6800 words long (that's 1800 words longer than chapter eight) and for those of you who don't remmeber what I said then:The first person to utter the words 'update soon' will get a smack around the head with a big stick (metaphorically of course ;))

Any other comments, including negative remarks, are welcome.

Sorry about the weird page breaks, they were the only thing i could get to work.

**Chapter 11**

Without another word from either woman Galinda politely opened the door for Nessarose and waited for the younger girl to leave.

"Elphaba, I said you didn't have to wait for me!"

Galinda heard Nessa exclaim from the hallway and walked over to see her glaring at Elphaba.

"That's good," said Elphaba quietly. "I came back to see if Miss Galinda could spare me a moment of her time."

"You're talking to _Galinda_?" repeated Nessa incredulously. "What happened to all those things you kept telling me about how rude, self-absorbed, shallow, conceited and ignorant she was?"

Inside the classroom Galinda flinched as she listened to what Elphaba had said about her.

_But then_, she thought, _I suppose that is how I have acted towards Elphie ever since she got here and it really seems like Nessa is just saying those things because she **knows** I'm in here…_

Of course Nessa knew that Miss Galinda was still in the classroom and so did Elphaba (because she hadn't actually left) but the younger Thropp sister chose to ignore that fact and not spare Galinda's feelings.

"Why, Miss Nessarose, didn't you know?" said Galinda cheerfully as she appeared out of the classroom and smiled brightly, _not_ politely as she had before, at Elphaba. "Elphie and I are friends now!"

_Elphie?_ Thought Nessarose, _I cannot believe my sister would actually let someone refer to her by a nickname when she's always said they're ridiculous!_

"Friends?" was all she managed to repeat out loud. It was one of the strangest things she'd ever heard, she was sure of it!

"Well," she continued stiffly, "I'm sure this will make your living situation much more agreeable. If you'll excuse me, I promised Miss Rané that I would meet her for lunch. I shall see you in History, Elphaba."

"Enjoy your lunch, Nessa," said Elphaba, speaking to girl's back because she'd wheeled herself away as soon as she finished speaking. She turned to Galinda and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"For what?" said Galinda, with a happy shrug and a careless hair toss. "It's true after all. What did you want to talk to me about? Please, I beg of you, tell me it's no more complicated than asking to borrow my hairbrush or something equally trivial I don't think I can handle any more seriousness today!"

"Actually I was just going to ask how your little talk with my sister went but if you don't want to talk about it…"

"It went well, I think…Miss Nessarose can be very…"

"I know exactly what you mean," Elphaba assured her straight away. "I only hope she isn't so…like that when Boq talks to her."

Elphaba's eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her mouth when she realised she'd revealed the fact she had spoken to Boq.

"Oh no! I shouldn't have said that. Galinda please, please, don't tell Nessa I talked to him!"

"Of course not, Elphaba," agreed Galinda, obviously confused by Elphaba's' distress. "Not that I speak to Miss Nessarose that often anyway but why not?"

"I only told her I'd talk to you and find out what really happened with Boq, when I offered to speak to him she told me not to."

"If she told you not to then why did you?" asked Galinda who knew fairly well, even this early in their friendship, how much power Nessa's will had over her sister. Elphaba fell silent for a moment and when she answered it was with a far away look on her face.

"I had a bad feeling about what might happen if he doesn't talk to her."

"A normal bad feeling," asked Galinda, more perceptive than usual. "Or a bad feeling like those dreams you told me about?"

"Like the dreams, _Gaia_," agreed Elphaba quietly but offered no further explanation.

"Come on," she continued, shaking off the odd mood that had been bothering her for several days concerning her sister and the Munchkin boy. "You had better get to lunch before your adoring masses start to miss you."

"Elphie!" protested Galinda. "Don't make fun of me! I should go though before people start wondering where I am. You can come with me, to lunch. If you'd like to?"

"No, thank you, Galinda," replied Elphaba, masking her shock with mild sarcasm. "I wouldn't want to put anybody off of their food. I'll see you in History class."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure."

"Enjoy your lunch then, Elphie!"

_Sometimes, _mused Elphaba as she watched Galinda walk away from her, smiling and waving. _Sometimes it is so** easy** to forget about all of the bad things that are happening in the world. Is that what true friendship is? Knowing someone who makes you feel like everything will turn out well in the end?_

For a moment she looked through a nearby window in the direction of the farm where the Goats were surely hidden, in plain sight, by now.

_A false feeling,_ she acknowledged silently. _But a good feeling nonetheless and who knows perhaps everything will turn out well…eventually…_

_----TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT----_

The air in the History classroom was expectant - though all of those who had been present in the last class still found time to look apprehensively at Elphaba who ignored their stares and whispers - they all knew there was to be a new History professor and everyone was wondering who was taking on the extra teaching duties.

The new professor was in fact a _new_ professor, not one of those already employed by the University, and escorted into the classroom by Madame Morrible herself.

"Good afternoon students. It is my delightful pleasure to introduce to you the newest member of the faculty of Shiz University – Professor Arlina Torelle – who has just finished a year of teaching at the Emerald City Academy for Young Ladies, which is one of the most prestigious establishments of education in all of Oz."

The only person who didn't look to the front of the room straight away was Fiyero, who made a point of not paying attention in class, he happened to be looking in the direction of the Thropp sisters and was confused by their reactions to someone who was apparently a stranger. Nessarose had a smile on her face and looked like she'd just seen an old friend for the first time in years whereas Elphaba looked as pale as he'd ever seen her and the expression on _her_ face was quite similar to the night she'd overheard Galinda talking about her.

_How peculiar,_ he thought, _I wonder if they've heard of this woman._

He turned his attention to the new teacher, wondering of her appearance would give him any clues. She was pretty, he supposed, in the way that women of a certain age could be. It was hard to tell under the makeup, it looked like she'd gotten some fashion tips from Madame Morrible or perhaps that was just the fashion in the Emerald City, there was a lot of dramatic eye shadow and bright lip colouring. From her golden hair and slightly buxom figure he deduced that she was probably almost pure Gillikinese though a certain delicacy in her facial structure suggested a hint of Munchkinlander blood.

Of course most of this would not be obvious to the average student, particularly a male student, but Fiyero spent a lot of time watching people when he was supposed to be studying and could almost always accurately guess an individual's bloodlines – it gave him something to do when he was bored.

_She has the look of highborn Gillikin about her, perhaps that's why Elphaba looks so…upset and her sister so cheerful, she could be someone their father knows._

"I am delighted to have been offered a teaching position at this distinguished University," said Professor Torelle as she looked around the classroom. "I am equally delighted to become acquainted with you all, Madame Morrible has told me _all_ about this particular class."

It was impossible to miss the way her eyes turned towards Elphaba as she finished that particular sentence. The green girl, despite the fact everyone was looking at her and most of them unpleasantly, pointedly looked away from the older woman in a manner that would have been an insult if she had been specifically addressed but could not be faulted in this particular instance. Nonetheless Elphaba was _quite_ certain that the new professor would find sufficient opportunity to take offence at her words and actions.

"We will begin with an oral exam so that I can evaluate your current level of knowledge. I am given to understand that your previous professor was…less than satisfactory," continued Professor Torelle, when Madame Morrible had left the room after warning the students to behave themselves.

Fiyero, telling himself that he was _not_ deliberately watching Elphaba, was the only one who saw her clench her left hand on the edge of the bench she was sitting on. He expected her to jump to her feet in defence of the Goat Professor to whom Professor Torelle was obviously referring but she just sat there, albeit glaring daggers (as the expression went) at the History teacher, and the only sign that she was angry was the fact that her clenched fingers were nearly white.

"Who can tell the class the full name of the last Ozma before the glorious reign of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz began?"

Elphaba's hand was in the air first but the professor ignored her, which was surprising because even the teachers who ignored her now had let her answer questions at first, in favour of the second person to offer an answer. The lesson went on that way, with Elphaba persistently putting her hand in the air, though some of the students began to think she was doing it to be irritating because the teacher wasn't calling on her at all. When she asked the next question Fiyero put _his _hand up a fraction of a second before Elphaba.

"Master Tiggular?" said the professor, indicating that he should speak.

"This is all very dreary," drawled Fiyero lazily. "Since Miss Thropp is so _keen _on History why don't you just let her answer the questions before we all die of boredom?"

He grinned charmingly at the Professor who looked distinctly unimpressed with his suggestion. He ignored her sour expression and the glare Elphaba treated him to as soon as he looked at the side of the classroom she was on.

"I think I have a fair idea of what areas you have covered now," she said, as if he hadn't spoken. "Take out your History texts and turn to page one hundred and seventy two. Today we are going to begin our study of the Wizard's Reign."

_----TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT----_

Two and a half _very_ long hours later the class finished, Boq waited until everyone had left the room then approached the Thropp sisters.

"Miss Nessarose, may I speak to you for a few minutes?"

"My, my, aren't _you_ popular today," muttered Elphaba snidely, her mood having been completely ruined by the arrival of the new History Professor. "Are you speaking to this young man or can we leave?"

"Not that it is _your_ business, Elphaba, but yes I _am_ going to speak to Master Boq and you need _not_ wait for me."

"I'll meet you in our usual study room then," replied Elphaba with a careless shrug.

Boq planned to wait silently until the classroom was completely empty before speaking to Nessarose but it seemed she had other ideas because she addressed him before he could begin.

"I believe I know why you are here," said Nessa. "Miss Galinda spoke to me this morning. She was _kind_ enough to explain to me the **real** reason you invited me to that party last week – to impress _her_."

"Miss Nessarose, I…"

At this point Nessarose would have interrupted any other person with accusations and made them feel as guilty as possible about they had done to upset her but she still harboured a secret hope that Boq might actually like her for herself so she decided to let him speak.

"It is true I only invited you because Miss Galinda suggested it but it's not _that_ simple. You see I never thought you would **accept** my invitation! You really are beautiful _and_ you are the future Governor of Munchkinland. I thought someone, or even several someones, would have already asked you. I really don't know what I was thinking of! No matter how much I…admire Miss Galinda there are some things that are simply **_not_** done, or at least they shouldn't be, and one of them is a mere _farmer's _son asking to be the escort of someone as far above him in society as you are. Not only that I committed **two** such offences in one day! I feel like such a fool for even dreaming that Miss Galinda would condescend to acknowledge my interest in her."

At this point Boq's voice trailed off and he blushed a little at the fact he had admitted his foolishness.

"She made me feel foolish as well, Boq," said Nessa, addressing him informally to make him feel more at ease. "I was _so_ thrilled that you had finally spoken to me and then to find out…well it's not your fault really and you must not think that you have committed such a great impropriety by speaking to both of us. Things are different at Shiz, we aren't even supposed to officially acknowledge rank, a person's worth is – and should be – measured by who _they_ are not who they're parents are."

"Do you _really_ believe that, Miss Nessarose?"

"Of course I do," answered Nessa empathically, and truthfully. "No wonder you never spoke to me if you think I am so old-fashioned that I wouldn't speak back!"

"I must admit I _did_ think that. There were a number of times when I _almost_ spoke to you and didn't because I thought you would disdain me."

He paused in his explanation, took a deep breath, and continued.

"May I be so bold as to ask why you didn't speak to me first?"

"I am _not_ quite so modern as that," protested Nessarose. "I _wanted_ to speak to you, Boq, I just couldn't quite bring myself to disregard appropriate Eastern behaviour to that degree. So you see this little mess we seem to be in isn't entirely Miss Galinda's fault…if I hadn't been so…you know…"

"It's not entirely any one person's fault," agreed Boq. He hesitated then spoke again. "Perhaps, Miss Nessarose, we might start over and begin our friendship on a better note?"

"You really want to be friends with _me_?"

"Of course."

"But why?"

"Well, for one thing…err…it's _not _because you're the Governor's daughter and …well…we're just about the only Munchkins here but that isn't the only reason of course! And it's not just because you're beautiful but you _are_. I am making a mess of this aren't I?"

"Only a little," said Nessa with an encouraging smile. "Forget I asked that. Let's start right back at the beginning with proper introductions."

Boq nodded, stood in front of her, and bowed to the exact degree of a Munchkin farmer's son greeting the daughter, and heir, of the Governor of Munchkinland.

"If you please, Miss, I should very much like to give you my name and have yours in return."

Nessarose found the formal Eastern way of speaking comfortingly familiar after spending the last few months talking to Northern and Border girls who tended towards the more informal Central style of speech and, using words she'd learned as a very young girl, responded in the same formal manner.

"I am delighted to be acquainted with you, sir, and I do not object to a proper introduction."

"My name is Boq Androsen. My father is Lariq Androsen of the Andros Farm and my mother is Shea Androsen, formerly Shea Lenahn, a Border Lander by birth. I was raised as a Munchkin and, as the only such citizen here at Shiz besides your good self, I have taken it upon myself to conduct a proper introduction."

"I'm sure you already know my name and title, Master Boq. You have my permission to address me by my given name."

She looked thoughtful, almost confused, for a moment until she realised he was referring to those who were _raised_ as Munchkins not everyone who had Munchkin in their bloodline.

"Are you really the only other Munchkin at Shiz?"

"I am, Miss Nessa, it seems not many Munchkinlanders are interested in leaving Munchkinland and even fewer in leaving for further education. I myself applied for and received a scholarship to Shiz. My parents are very proud even though they don't see why I _need_ to attend University."

"My father thought it would be better for me to attend a Central school to improve my understanding of international matters. I still think that I could learn all I need to know from him but I didn't want to disappoint him by refusing to come."

"I think everyone secretly wants to make their parents proud," offered Boq understandingly. "What do you think of the new History Professor? She seems to have a bit of a grudge against Miss Elphaba already…"

His voice trailed off as it occurred to him that Elphaba was not the best topic to discuss with Nessa when one was trying to gain her forgiveness. To his surprise Nessa actually smiled, though someone who knew her better than he would have realised that it was not a particularly nice smile, and decided to answer his question truthfully.

"Because we are friends I shall tell you why Professor Torelle reacted the way she did but you must promise not to discuss it with _anyone_."

"Of course, Miss Nessa, you have my word on it."

"Professor Arlina Torelle is my mother's cousin through my grandfather's family, before she pursued her higher education, she was my Nanny. She lived with our family for nearly fourteen years and cared for my sister as a child as well. So you see there is quite a bit of history between them, most of it unpleasant, my sister hasn't seen her since she left the household though I have kept in regular contact and met with her a few times on journeys with Father. That's about all there is to it," concluded Nessa, though she hadn't told him all of the circumstances of the situation.

"It is certainly understandable then, that they would not like each other," agreed Boq. He was fairly certain that she wasn't telling him everything but he was glad that she trusted him enough to tell him as much as she had. "You may rest assured that I will not tell anyone about your prior acquaintance with Professor Torelle, particularly in light of the fact that she is now your teacher as well as a trusted family friend."

"I agree," said Nessa. "As soon as I realised whom our new teacher was, I knew we would have to be discreet about our prior relationship to avoid certain, baseless, accusations of favouritism. I'm glad we sorted all of this out, Boq; truly I'm glad that we're friends now. It would have been so awkward if we had just carried on as though everything was well, don't you think?"

"Very awkward indeed, Miss Nessa," agreed Boq. "If you will excuse me rushing off I was supposed to meet my Science study partner some time ago."

"Please don't let me keep you, I'm sure Elphaba will be here any minute to make sure you haven't reduced me to weeping hysterics or anything like that," said Nessa in a rather dry tone that was, if any such thing could be needed, proof that the Thropp sisters shared a few mannerisms. "She's always nagging me about not wanting to study enough, but then _she _studies enough for any three other people."

There didn't seem to be anything diplomatic to say to that so Boq nodded in what he hoped was a suitable response.

"Would you like me to escort you to your study room, Miss Nessa?" he offered politely. As they had just discussed he had been raised as a Munchkin and Munchkins were always polite to women, especially but not particularly those of higher rank than themselves, it was simply good manners instilled since childhood.

"I would be delighted," replied Nessa, who had had the same good manners instilled in her since childhood, she had long since learned that a lady never refused such an offer from a gentleman (the definition of gentleman in this instance being any man, or boy, who made such an offer in a genuine manner).

_----TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT----_

When the pair of friends reached the only study room on the ground floor (therefore the only one that Nessa could reach easily on her own) all appearance suggested that Elphaba had been there since she left the history classroom. She was nose deep, as she often was, in a book and could have told anyone who asked exactly what she had read in the amount of time she was supposed to have been spending alone in the room. Certainly it never even occurred to Nessarose, or Boq, that Elphaba had sat outside the classroom until it became apparent that they _were_ going to sort themselves out then raced to this room.

"There you are, Nessa," she said in a reproving tone that was just mild enough to avoid upsetting her sister. "I was about to come and look for you."

"I haven't needed a nursemaid to round me up since I was eight, Elphaba," replied Nessarose very pointedly. "I can certainly manage to get myself from a classroom to a study room without you checking on me because I'm a few minutes late."

"Your pardon," said Elphaba stiffly. "I certainly did not intend to imply that you are a child, Nessarose. I simply thought you might have better things to do before curfew than studying and would prefer to get it done as soon as possible."

"I bid you good afternoon," said Boq in the pause between Elphaba's apology and Nessa's reply.

"Good afternoon, Boq," said Nessa with a smile. She turned back to face Elphaba as soon as he had left.

"So," said Elphaba, faking boredom so badly that Nessarose knew she was really interested. "What did Master Boq have to say to you?"

"Me first," insisted Nessa. "You spoke to Miss Galinda?"

"I did, as you know since she spoke to you."

"It seems after your little 'chat' she talked to Boq and explained everything. He wanted to apologise, and explain a little too, he was very sweet. It seems that he actually wanted to be friends _before_ the party and he really was too shy to ask me! He thought I wouldn't speak to him because of the difference in our ranks but now we're friends and I think…I'm not sure yet because it's so new but I think I can be his friend and be satisfied with that even though I still feel the way I did before."

"I'm glad that it worked out, Nessa," said Elphaba sincerely.

_And I'm doubly thrilled that Boq and Galinda haven't let slip that I had spoken to him as well._

_I wonder if I should say anything about Arlina being here, _contemplated Nessa. _No, it would only get her started on one of her rants._

"I brought my Literature notes with me," Elphaba solved Nessa's dilemma by moving on to the simpler topic of their homework.

The sisters spent the next two hours discussing the text they'd been assigned to study for Literature and the questions the Professor had suggested would be in the exam. The bell rang to indicate that the evening meal was about to begin, Elphaba gathered up her notes and put them back in her bag.

"Would you like me to take you to the dining hall?" she asked her sister. The question surprised Nessa because Elphaba usually just assumed that she wanted assistance. Nessa thought about it for a moment, decided that Arlina would probably be in the dining hall already, and replied:

"No, thank you, Elphaba. I can see myself there this evening, no need for you to come along."

"I'll see you in the morning then," agreed Elphaba neutrally. "Shall I come in early so we can go over out notes as we did this morning?"

"Please, that would be very good."

"Are you worried about something, Nessa?" asked Elphaba perceptively.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" asked Nessa who was, in fact, preoccupied with thoughts about the likelihood of Elphaba causing trouble with Arlina and her own worries about Boq.

"You slipped into Eastern dialect, just said 'please' instead of 'if you please'."

"You're imagining things, Elphaba, as always!" scolded Nessa. "_Would_ you please take your conspiracy theories somewhere else so I can get to my meal."

"I do beg your pardon, it was only concern that made me speak of it. Good evening, Nessa."

With that rather icy farewell Elphaba picked up her things and left the room.

"Well," mutter Nessa, as she picked up her own books and put them on her lap so she could wheel the chair along. "She _is_ in one of her moods today."

_----TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT----_

Galinda had left a note on Elphaba's bed, which she picked up as soon as she entered the bedroom.

_Elphie,_

_Fiyero is taking me out for dinner and dancing!_

_Have a good evening, cover for me if anyone important asks where I am, see you later!_

_Galinda._

"Your level in trust in my discretion is fascinating, _Gaia_ dear," murmured Elphaba, with a smile, as she placed the note on her bedside drawers and sat down on the bed.

She had planned to continue studying but, in the privacy of her mind and an empty room, she had no choice but to acknowledge the fact that she didn't need to study any more for the exam and could probably have passed it without any study at all.

_So what are you going to do for the rest of the evening? _wondered Elphaba silently; she saw no point in speaking out loud when she was alone anyway.

_You can't practice magic because Madame has forbidden you to use the training wand outside of the special classroom, Galinda won't be back for hours yet so you don't have to worry about entertaining her, Nessa is obviously going to renew her_ _acquaintance with our dear Miss Arlina as soon as she finishes her meal. In short, Miss Elphaba Thropp, you have absolutely nothing that you need to do and you haven't a clue what to do with yourself. Well, I'm glad I was able to sort that out._

She stood up and paced around the room for a few minutes, wondering why she couldn't sit still. Stopping at the bedside table she pulled a notebook and a charcoal pencil out of the drawer.

_I'll soon get this sorted out_, she decided as she balanced the paper on her lap and closed her eyes. It didn't always work but sometimes if she concentrated in a special way, that she now guessed probably had something to do with magic, she could draw a picture of what was nagging at her mind.

The charcoal moved over the paper and some time, she could never measure it, later Elphaba felt that it was as complete as she could make it and opened her eyes. The top half of the page was covered by her other hand so she looked at the bottom first.

_A fork in the road, two different paths, only one set of footprints, so where do they lead?_

The sound of the door opened loudly distracted her from further analysis of the obscure drawing. In her haste to put in the drawer next to the bed she ended up with charcoal smeared all over the palm of the hand she had been covering the drawing with.

"Galinda? Is that you?" she called out as she glanced out of the window to check the time.

Lamps always illuminated the face of the clock in the courtyard at night so it was clearly visible. Elphaba's mood changed rather abruptly as she realised it was nearly curfew. On one hand she was shocked that she had lost several hours in her semi trance but on the other she was angry - _perhaps_ without cause - that Galinda was only just getting home.

"Of course it's me, El_phie_!" called out Galinda in an extremely, even for her, cheerful tone as Elphaba entered the sitting room. "And Fiyero, of course!"

"Of course," muttered Elphaba, clearly unimpressed by Galinda's enthusiasm.

"You didn't have to wait up for us!" added Galinda with a giggle.

"Galinda Upland!" Elphaba finally realised why Galinda's behaviour seemed more giddy than usual. "Are you drunk?"

"I most certainly am not!" protested Galinda as she collapsed onto the sofa and dragged Fiyero with her.

"You most certainly am are," disagreed Fiyero, heedless of the terrible grammar of that sentence.

"You," said Elphaba, glaring at him fiercely. "I didn't think you were _this_ irresponsible."

"Me?" protested Fiyero. "Are you suggesting that Galinda being slightly inebriated," he wasn't quite as drunk as her and could still _pronounce_ big words. "Is _my_ fault?"

"I wasn't just 'suggesting' it!" snapped Elphaba. "_You_ should go back to your room before curfew."

"I don't feel so good!" exclaimed Galinda, very suddenly. She stood up and stumbled across the room into the bathroom, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone and glaring at each other.

"I was just trying to cheer her up," said Fiyero, perversely annoyed by the fact that he felt he had to explain himself to Elphaba Thropp.

"By helping her drink herself sick?" said Elphaba, more sarcastically than usual. "Exactly what I would expect from _you_."

"At least _I _don't have such a reputation that a new teacher _already_ expects me to misbehave!"

Fiyero retorted with the first cutting remark he could think of. He probably wouldn't have said it if he hadn't been nearly as drunk as Galinda, though better at hiding it, _and_ irritated by the fact that she blamed him for Galinda's behaviour. Elphaba's face paled quite noticeably and her glare became even more intense as she clenched her hands together in front of her.

"For your information, Fiyero Tiggular," she spat the words at him, emphasising every syllable. "_Professor_ Torelle and I have been **_acquainted_** for quite some time, **_not_ **that it is any of your business. Our reasons for _mutual_ dislike have been well established."

"Are you going to tell me _how_ you are acquainted then?" challenged Fiyero, more for the sake of baiting her than because he wanted to know. The fact that she had admitted the acquaintance suggested that his first guess of 'father's friend' was probably correct.

"No."

Elphaba replied flatly and walked away from him without a word, she went into the bathroom to check on Galinda.

The blonde girl was sitting on a pile of pink towels (obviously hers) humming to herself.

"Galinda, what in Oz _are_ you doing?" asked Elphaba in exasperation.

"I'm just thinking about what an absotively wonderific evening I had, Elphie! I loved the restaurant, and the music, and the wine!"

"Yes. I think it is abundantly clear, particularly from the ridiculous made up words you just used, exactly how much you 'loved' the wine."

"And I love Fiyero," continued Galinda obliviously. "And I love Shiz, and you, and Shannee and Pfen-Pfen…"

"Other way around I think you'll find," murmured Elphaba.

"And everyone else at Shiz, and Momsie and Popsical, and simply _everyone_…well except that horrid boy who put ink in my hair when I was eight, and come to think of it I'm not terribly fond of Madame Morrible or your sister – no offence – or the new History Professor who seems very unhappy indeed but then I suppose it is difficult to be a Torelle and be truly happy with one's position in life."

The sarcastic sentence uttered by Elphaba, about a third of the way through Galinda's declarations of love, finally penetrated the younger girl's clouded mind.

"They are not made up!" she protested, "they're abbry-, abbrevi-, oh you know what I mean!"

"Abbreviations?" supplied Elphaba with a sceptical roll of her eyes that went unnoticed by Galinda.

"That's the one! I _could _have said that I had an absolutely, positively, wonderful, terrific evening but that just takes so long!"

"I told you she was cheered up," interjected Fiyero from the doorway.

"Fiyero!" Galinda stumbled to her feet and half crashed into him before she managed to right herself. "You're still here, dearest, isn't that so nice of him, Elphie? Staying here to make sure I'm alright even though it's nearly curfew!"

"It's _after_ curfew," pointed out Elphaba, her tone making it clear that she doubted either of them capable of knowing that. "_He_ shouldn't even be in our room at this time of the night."

"Fiyero has a name, Elphie!" protested Galinda. "Don't be so impolite."

"Blame it on my poor upbringing," suggested Elphaba icily.

"Don't worry about it, Galinda," said Fiyero with more drunken cheerfulness in his tone than he actually felt.

"Miss Elphaba…" He barely restrained himself from calling her 'Elphie', knowing how much hearing the nickname from him would infuriate her. "…Is quite correct about me leaving and I only intruded upon you to bid you goodnight."

"Oh don't go so soon!" protested Galinda with a charming, calculated, pout. "Please?"

"Oh this is ridiculous!" said Elphaba, throwing her hands in the air and disappearing back into the bedroom.

"What's her problem?" wondered Fiyero out loud as Galinda snuggled up against him, nearly asleep from the after-effects of too much wine. He absentmindedly raised one hand to stroke her hair only to have his hand batted away with a muttered comment about not mussing her hair up.

"Who knows?" Galinda shrugged, "I think the new Professor annoyed her."

"It seemed like me being here didn't help," he suggested. "I don't think Miss Elphaba approves of me."

"She talks to you," observed Galinda with a giggle. "So she probably doesn't disapprove of you _completely_!"

She yawned delicately and took a step back from Fiyero.

"I had better get to bed," she told him, "I don't feel very well now but it really was a fantastical evening! Thank you so much for cheering me up after all the dreary business I had to put myself through today."

"You never did get around to telling me what that was all about," remarked Fiyero.

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," promised Galinda. "I'm far too sleepy, not too mention _happy_, to go through it all now."

"Of course," agreed Fiyero kissing her hand in a manner that was, from Galinda's Gillikinese perspective anyway, endearingly old-fashioned. "Good night, Galinda, may your dreams be blessed."

_Now whatever possessed me to use that particular phrase in front of a Northern girl?_ wondered Fiyero as soon as he had uttered the Arjiki version of 'sleep well'. Fortunately the unusual phrase didn't make much of an impact on Galinda in her current state.

"Good night, Fiyero, sleep well. I would see you to the door but I think I shall sit down for a moment then retire to my bed."

_----TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT----_

_Where has Galinda gotten to?_ wondered Elphaba, about ten minutes after she heard Fiyero leave the suite. _It doesn't normally take her this long to get ready for bed. I suppose I had better check on her._

What Elphaba really wanted to do was open her bedside drawer and finish examining her picture but she couldn't do _that_ until Galinda was asleep. She opened the bathroom door and smiled slightly when she saw Galinda curled up on the same pile of towels she'd been sitting on before.

"Galinda, you can't go to sleep on the bathroom floor," she sat down next to the other girl and shook her shoulder gently.

"Can," muttered Galinda and buried her face in her arms.

"No, you can't," repeated Elphaba.

"Why not?"

_This has got to be the most ludicrous discussion I have **ever** been involved in!_ Elphaba decided as she tried to think of a way to convince Galinda to get up from the floor.

"It'll hurt your neck?" she suggested helplessly. "Umm…I don't know because it gets cold in here?"

"Silly Elphie," murmured Galinda. "I had a funny dream about you while I was sleeping – how long was I sleeping?"

"Not more than ten minutes," replied Elphaba, as Galinda seemed to pull herself together a little bit. The blonde girl sat up and shook her head.

"Is that all? It felt much longer," she waved her hand dismissively. "Where'd I leave my nightgown?"

"On top of the linen basket."

"Well where is the linen basket?"

"You're leaning against it," Elphaba managed to reply without even smiling.

"Why so I am!" She turned around and picked up the nightgown then stared at it oddly. "It's pink."

"All of your nightgowns are pink," replied Elphaba, pulling a face at Galinda's back. "That I've seen anyway. I thought you liked pink?"

"I adore pink! I just don't feel very pink right now."

"I see," said Elphaba, even though she had _no_ idea what Galinda was talking about. "How do you feel?"

"I feel…funny, like my head is in the wrong place. No," she contradicted herself. "Not my head, my mind, my…me…oh dear I don't know, it's all too muddled up! I need sleep, lots and lots of sleep."

"For once I agree with you," said Elphaba, politely turning her back when it became obvious that Galinda had decided she liked pink again and intended to get changed right at that moment.

The small room was silent for a few minutes until Galinda announced that she was 'all done'.

"Right," said Elphaba, "I closed all of the drapes while you were…resting. Would you like a drink of water?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I just want to go to sleep," replied Galinda with an unladylike yawn. "You haven't gotten changed yet, were you waiting up for me?"

"Oh no," said Elphaba in immediate denial of the suggestion. "I was just…I just lost track of time, that's all."

Elphaba helped Galinda walk to her bed; the blonde girl was swaying so badly that she nearly fell over three times before finally take the hand Elphie offered in assistance.

"So tell me, _Gaia_," said Elphaba, when Galinda was snuggled under her blankets and not quite asleep. "What did you dream about?"

"About us, Elphie," replied Galinda; so sleepy she probably wouldn't remember the dream _or_ telling Elphaba about it, in the morning.

"We went to see the Wizard, in the Emerald City, and you shouted at him. You aren't supposed to shout, Elphie, you're supposed to tell him how wonderful he is, Wizards love that!"

"I'll be sure and behave myself next time. What happened next?" replied Elphaba with amusement in her voice though her skin was crawling because she felt like she _should_ already know what Galinda was going to say.

"Then you flew away," replied Galinda sadly. "You left me all alone, Elphie!"

"Hush, dear one, it was just a dream. I won't leave you alone, I promise," she grasped Galinda's hand in her own and smiled reassuringly.

"That's good," said Galinda as she drifted into proper sleep.

Elphaba took a deep breath and walked to her side of the room.

_So_, she said to herself, _now I know where the other path leads._

She picked the, now smudged, piece of paper up out of the drawer and looked at it. Sure enough one of the forks led to a very basic sketch of Shiz University and the other to a huge city. Looking at the picture she had the feeling that it was not quite _complete_ though she couldn't imagine what could be missing. Absently she picked up the piece of charcoal and scrawled a few words above the Emerald City without even knowing what she was writing – such was the nature of her foresight at times.

When she did look at the page she read the nine words over and over again, as though the repetition would make them more comprehensible. At the same time she forced herself to not remember the dream-visions that might tell her what the words, and Galinda's dream, would reveal. It was too soon for some truths to be remembered, no not _remembered_ because they had never happened but it wasn't time to _know_ what might have been, so she continued staring, they were nine simple words and yet they implied so much.

_It's the Wizard who should be afraid...of **me**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba didn't get invited to the Emerald City straight after I'm Not That Girl?

**Chapter Twelve**

Elphaba rose before dawn, as she always did, and changed into her uniform quietly then picked up her bag of books for the day's classes – she did _not_ plan to be around when Galinda woke up, friend or not, she would have to suffer her hangover alone.

Technically students weren't supposed to leave their rooms before dawn but the rule went largely un-enforced as it often turned out that people caught at that time of day were _returning from_ someone else's room.

The presence of various initials carved into the trunk of Elphaba's favourite willow tree suggested that the stone bench she sat on, behind the long swaying branches, was a favourite rendezvous spot for generations of Shiz students.

"Greetings again," said Fali the Cat, perching in the tree branches like a certain grinning cat of Earth's folklore. Elphaba looked up and smiled politely at the Animal.

"Greetings, Fali. I did not expect to see you again so soon."

"Of course not, if I did what people expected I would hardly be a proper Cat."

"No, the contrariness of Cats is legendary. I only meant that it seemed unwise for you to be in the same place at the same time for two days in a row."

"Cats are, fortunately, not known for their wisdom. I am only here to tell you that you must be doubly careful here. Our informants in the Emerald City sent a message yesterday telling us an agent of the government has been sent to Shiz City, to investigate rumours of dissident activity. We investigated the entire city, no easy task but not as difficult as other places, and there has been only one new arrival from the Emerald City…"

"Your pardon for interrupting," said Elphaba with a degree of certainty that the Cat found surprising. "I believe I know the identity of the person you are going to reveal to me."

"Indeed?"

"It seems to me that you came here so soon because this new arrival is in the university, correct?"

"That is so. If they were in the city itself we would have waited a few days, knowing that students most often visit on rest days."

"There has only been one new arrival at Shiz in the last few days, the new History Professor, _Arlina Torelle_."

"You hiss like a Cat when you say that name. Do you hate her because she works with those who oppress us or is it something more?"

"I do not _hate_ her," snarled Elphaba, the tone of her voice suggesting that perhaps her statement wasn't accurate. "She is not worthy of my hatred. I despise her and everything she is but I refuse to let myself hate her. _Keer misee na keere grei het na keers_."

"Quadling tongue, now there's something you don't hear everyday in central Oz," remarked Fali, accepting the rest of her explanation without comment.

"It means, more or less, someone who hates is more harmed by the hatred than the thing which they hate."

"A very philosophical race, I suppose there's not much to do _but_ be philosophers."

"One of their deepest beliefs is that the Great Mother should be venerated above all - _Tarda jin na Yeka Dala elan je dekaljia shu jin thr yeekes aez uim jin dase ais eda._"

"You speak the language well for a Munchkinlander – or is that you speak the two phrases you know well?

"My mother taught it to me, I learned to speak it as I learned to speak the common language of Oz. Her mother, my _Damere_, was a Quadling though my father has never – in my hearing- acknowledged that fact and my sister is unaware of it."

"How very interesting," purred the Cat.

_That answers one of the questions I had about Elphaba of Munchkinland at least._

"Not really, a lot of Munchkinlanders have mingled bloodlines."

"That was not precisely what I meant, but no cat born will ever tell you _precisely_ what they mean so it matters not. I must be away before this place wakes up properly."

"One thing before you go," said Elphaba quickly. "The Goats, did they make it?"

"Well and safe, out of reach of the authorities for now though I wonder if any place will be safe for Animals soon. Dillamond was very grateful for your help and urged me to ask you to be very careful. I add to that the same sentiment, watch your back in this place there are more enemies than friends."

"Is that an observation or a prediction?"

"I'm a _Cat_ not a Witch, sweet girl, there are _always_ more enemies than friends."

"An observation then, I thought so."

"Enjoy your sunrise, _Neeha_, there will never be another like it."

"Is that another piece of your obscure Cattish wisdom?" asked Elphaba, only to find that Fali had vanished into the shadows.

_I wonder what _neeha_ means, _thought Elphaba as she watched the garden gradually grow lighter with the rising sun.

* * *

Despite her words at the beginning of the term Madame Morrible did not often have time to assist Nessarose and had assigned a young maid, who had experience in such things, to the task. Nessa didn't mind too much because the maid, Lila, was polite, well behaved and obviously in awe of the younger girl's rank. All in all Nessa found her much more restful than her sister. 

"Will that be all, Miss Nessarose?" asked Lila, when Nessa was dressed and properly arranged in her chair.

"Yes, thank you, Lila. My sister is coming to visit me before class, she will assist me if there is anything else."

"Very good, Miss."

Lila curtsied to her and was about to depart when there was a knock on the door.

"Shall I see who that is, Miss?" she asked Nessa, who was brushing her hair.

"It's probably just Elphaba, early as usual, please let her in on your way out."

Despite the fact that Nessarose shared Madame Morrible's rooms she had her own door into the place, Madame had explained that the structure was left over from a time when all of the teacher's quarters were student rooms – when the teaching staff had all lived off-site, leaving chaperones in charge of the students.

"Good morning, Nessa."

"Arlina!"

Nessa turned her head around and smiled brightly at her former carer, now teacher.

"Good morning to you as well, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."

"Well we hardly had a chance to catch up at dinner last night, with all the people in the room."

"That's true enough," agreed Nessa. "Was there something in particular you wanted to speak about?"

"Not really," said Arlina, sitting on the stool next to Nessa's bed at her gestured invitation. "How do you like Shiz? I know you were disappointed that your father wanted you to go away and again when he decided not to send you to the Emerald City Academy."

"It's better than I thought it would be," admitted Nessa, turning the chair around now that she had finished brushing her hair. "Father let me pick some of my own classes to fill in the time left after those he chose. I've always enjoyed my music lessons so I chose piano, harp, and singing."

"And what about your sister?"

"Elphaba?" repeated Nessa; surprised by Arlina's interest she shrugged. "She takes the same classes as I do, that was father's condition – well one of them – for letting her accompany me her, except for her class with Madame Morrible."

"I wasn't aware that Madame taught anything nowadays, what with her duties as Headmistress."

"It seems," said Nessa with a mixture of distaste and envy in her voice. "That my sister has a 'gift' for sorcery. I thought you must have heard or I would have told you."

"You mean Madame Morrible is actually _encouraging_ your sister?"

"That was my reaction as well, but what could I say? After all Madame is one of Oz's greatest, and only, sorceresses – if anyone can control my sister's _gift_ it will be her."

"Yes, yes, you are quite right of course," Arlina paused thoughtfully (and quite deliberately). "Do you think, though, that perhaps someone should talk to Madame Morrible and explain a bit more about _her_ background? I realise it may be too late to make a difference, and perhaps Madame is already aware of these things, but still…"

"I had thought of that, I'm quite certain Father wouldn't have…I mean Madame wasn't even expecting her, that's how she ended up sharing a room with Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands – Miss Galinda, I heard from some mutual acquaintances, is now going to be studying sorcery with Madame as well."

"How very fascinating," murmured Arlina, so as not to interrupt the flow of Nessa's words.

"Anyway, it is hardly my place to tell Madame Morrible about my sister, especially considering the lecture she gave the whole school about gossip a few weeks ago, but perhaps from someone who has known her since she was young it wouldn't be considered gossip as such?"

" No, I don't think it would, more along the lines of two teachers comparing notes about a student they have both been acquainted with. After all it is quite a recognised fact that early educational experiences can affect future learning."

"I certainly see no harm in such a discussion," agreed Nessarose, giving Arlina her unspoken permission to go ahead and reveal fairly private details about her family to the Headmistress – she was hardly going to hold such things against _her_ after all.

"In fact I think…"

Whatever it was that Nessarose thought was interrupted by a brief knock on the door, followed very closely by Elphaba – carrying her bag of books – entering the room. She greeted Nessarose with a cheerful (for her) 'Good morning' before she realised that her sister had a visitor other than herself.

"I do beg your pardon," she said, her voice changing from sisterly friendliness to stiff formality as soon as she realised that Arlina was in the room. "I did not realise you had company, Nessarose, or I would have waited for an invitation to enter."

"Now, now, Elphaba," chided Arlina disdainfully. "There is no need for such formality between us."

Elphaba looked at Arlina, without blinking, for a moment as if she were making mental notes of the differences between the woman she saw before her and the one she had known since her childhood.

_Such emotionless eyes,_ thought Arlina. _How **dare** she not care what I think of her, when I know **all** there is to know about her?_

"I beg your pardon, _Professor _Torelle, but you will speak to me with the proper title you would give any student or not at all."

"Elphaba!" protested Nessarose. "How dare you speak to Arlina like that?"

"_Miss_ Elphaba, rabbits aside, don't you think that ten years is a long time to hold a childish grudge?"

Arlina deliberately pronounced the word without capitalisation, to provoke the younger woman's temper; she knew well enough that it had been a Rabbit.

"Arlina is right, Elphaba," said Nessarose, instantly taking sides against her sister. "It was just one animal after all."

Drawing herself up to her full height, which put her at eye level with Arlina, Elphaba glared in complete silence at the other woman letting Arlina see the exact depths of contempt and, perhaps, hatred that she felt towards her. Arlina stared back making sure that her own feelings were quite obvious as well.

"Perhaps," Arlina said, addressing Nessa with a rueful smile. "I had better go now."

"Don't trouble yourself," interrupted Elphaba, very neutrally, before Nessa could answer. She pulled a notebook out of her bag and dropped it onto Nessa's lap. "Here are the notes for Literature, I'll see you in class."

Without another word or look at Arlina, both of them knew well enough where they stood with each other now, she left the room.

"Well," said Arlina, with a note of resignation (not entirely feigned) in her voice. "I see the years have not improved your sister's temperament."

"If anything coming to Shiz and being singled out by Madame Morrible has made her worse!"

Nessarose, ignoring the notebook on her lap, proceeded to inform Arlina of the circumstances surrounding the time when Madame Morrible had become aware of Elphaba's 'gift' then the disruption that her sister had caused in the History class that Nessarose missed.

"An Animal Professor?" repeated Arlina incredulously, "I didn't know anyone still employed them!"

"As I heard it," said Nessa, whose friends were very fond of gossip. "Shiz was one of the last places to do so and he was the only one they had left when the new laws were announced. _Naturally_ Elphaba would lose control over something as ridiculous as an Animal being fired, I'm quite surprised that Madame has consented to continue teaching her and not sent her home in disgrace!"

"What did your father have to say about the history class incident?"

"Well…" replied Nessa, a little uneasily. "I don't think Madame told him about it."

"You didn't either?"

"No, I…I decided to give her one more chance to keep her promise to me – she promised things would be different here and so far she hasn't managed _too_ badly…I think Madame Morrible has some influence over her, more than our father would if he called her home."

"As do you," suggested Arlina.

"Yes," agreed Nessa thoughtfully. "Just as I do."

"Now then," continued Arlina, seeing that Nessarose looked troubled by the open statement of her influence over her sister. "I have a class to prepare for and you have study to complete so I bid you a good day and I shall see you again at dinner."

"And a good day to you, Arlina, I shall be delighted to see you this evening."

* * *

"Madame Morrible. May I beg a few minutes of your time?" asked Arlina, after the Headmistress's secretary let her into the office. 

"Professor Torelle, of course, what can I do for you?"

"It's about one of the students," said Arlina seriously, declining Madame Morrible's gestured invitation to take a seat.

"Already?" said Madame Morrible neutrally. "You have only taught one class so far have you not?"

"That is correct, Madame."

"What did Miss Elphaba do _now_?"

"I beg your pardon, Madame, but I did not tell you the name of the person I wished to speak to you about yet. However you are correct…how did you know?"

"Let us simply say that Miss Elphaba has a…_knack_ for making strong impressions very quickly."

"That's a very generous way of summarising her emotional outbursts."

"I heard no reports of a disturberance in class yesterday."

"I wasn't talking about yesterday's class," corrected Arlina, being carefully polite. "In fact that brings me to the reason I came to speak to you. I have just learned today that you are tutoring Miss Elphaba in Sorcery and I thought you should know that I have been, in the past, quite well acquainted with her."

"I find this very interesting," said Madame Morrible, folding her arms thoughtfully. "Please continue if you are here to tell me more than that."

"I must confess to you the _concern_ I felt when I heard you were teaching Miss Elphaba Sorcery. I was there, you see, the first time…"

"Her gift manifested itself?" offered Morrible when it seemed that Arlina was not sure of the correct phrasing. "Miss Elphaba didn't mention the particulars of the incident but I am aware of it."

"If you like to call it a 'gift'."

In typical Gillikinese fashion Arlina was able to make her disdain for the notion quite obvious while also making it plain that she respected Madame Morrible's opinion.

"I, personally, do but I can see how it might seem otherwise to someone who is not as experienced in these matters as myself."

"Naturally I bow to your greater expertise and knowledge in the area of magic, Madame."

"But?"

"I believe that you should know the particulars of the situation. You see, it involved an Animal and what with the way she reacted when I merely _mentioned_ the Animal Professor yesterday…oh nothing too obvious but I know her well enough to know she _still_ feels deeply on the subject."

"Such feelings can be dangerous if they are not kept in check and Miss Elphaba's lack of control has been well demonstrated to myself. Please proceed with the particulars of the incident you mentioned."

"Miss Elphaba was twelve at the time and Miss Nessarose was seven. The cook and I were bringing the girls lunch, Elphaba was minding Miss Nessarose while I was away. The cook came back with me - I won't bore you with the minutiae – it turned out that the cook had caught a Rabbit in her garden and made a stew of it, not completely civilized in my mind but you know what back–country Munchkinlanders are like at times I'm sure.

In any case, the next thing I knew the room was far colder than it should have been…"

Arlina shivered at the mere memory of the chill in the room, and the brief flash of implacable loathing she'd seen in Elphaba's eyes.

"…And Elphaba knocked the fork out of her sister's hand and threw both their plates at the window, with her hand mind you. The…_unusual_ part came after that."

Arlina took another deep breath, irritated with herself for showing such weakness before a probable rival and for letting a ten-year old memory affect her so, and then continued.

"Naturally I was expecting those plates to hit the window and smash the lot but they didn't. There was a flash of light, blindingly bright so I couldn't see for a few moments, when I could see again the two plates sat on the carpet with not a chip nor a morsel of food on them. After that she claimed that 'he', the rabbit, was 'her friend' and refused to eat meat ever again. As far as I know she has retained that dietary peculiarity though obviously it is impossible to tell, with her…_complexion_, whether or not the deficiency has affected her health."

Morrible studied the other woman carefully for a few minutes as she considered Arlina's story. There was little doubt that it was true, if coloured by Arlina's own opinions, and it certainly fit with the vague outline Elphaba had given her of the first time she had used her powers.

"Thank you for enlightening me, Professor Torelle, I believe it will make it easier for me to…shall we say guide Miss Elphaba's rather passionate nature towards more appropriate causes. May I ask if you witnessed any other such outbursts during your time with the family?"

"There were small incidents on quite a regular basis, despite the reprimands she received almost constantly for her inappropriate behaviour."

Madame Morrible decided, at that moment, that it was nothing short of a miracle that Elphaba's gift hadn't been lost entirely when faced with the degree of censure that Arlina Torelle spoke of – she could hear the blatant dislike of magic, particularly (and perhaps only) Elphaba's, Arlina obviously still harboured.

"There was also an incident, when she was thirteen, a rather major incident that took a great deal of the Governor's influence to be kept quiet. It is also the reason I was surprised…no let me be even more frank, _shocked_ when I heard from Miss Nessarose that her father had allowed Miss Elphaba to accompany her here."

"This sounds very serious indeed," Madame Morrible, acknowledged the severity of what Arlina was saying with a brisk nod. "And yet the girl's father didn't say a word to me about any of this, why might that be do you supposed? Based on your experience with the family."

"It was decided that Miss Elphaba needed to be more involved in family life, her father decided she was old enough to care for Miss Nessarose herself, so I left the family's service shortly after. My acquaintances amongst the servants, and the Governor himself, kept me informed of Miss Nessarose's progress then she wrote to me herself when she was old enough.

From what I understand Miss Elphaba's emotional…instabilities _seemed_ to have resolved themselves, which is why the Governor allowed her to accompany her sister to Shiz, that and – in my opinion – he was a little concerned about what might happen if Miss Elphaba no longer had her duties to keep her occupied."

"May one inquire as to what this incident was?" asked Madame Morrible in a tone that suggested it was an order rather than a request.

"Miss Elphaba ran away from the Governor's mansion and, no is sure if it was by design or coincidence, made her way as far to the East as it is possible to go. I don't know if you are aware, Madame, of the wall which separates Munchkinland from the deserts?"

"I am."

"Well the wall is guarded but she somehow made it past the guards and attacked them, magically, when they attempted to prevent her from going closer to the wall. It was very lucky for her that the guards are trained to capture trespassers without injuring them. Even so the family doctor examined her after she was returned, and her father arranged for the incident to be 'forgotten', and told her father that he believed the child was still suffering from the death of their mother. I spoke to him myself, I was concerned for Miss Nessarose's wellbeing around such an unpredictable child, he told me that she was quite mentally _and_ emotionally disturbed – even for a girl of thirteen who may be expected to be a little unstable at times."

"And you believe that this…instability has not improved enough for her to be sent away to school?"

"As I said, Madame, but I have not had close interaction with her for a number of years so perhaps she is less…unwell than she was before. Surely the Governor would have told you if he thought it would be a problem?"

"The Governor did not, in fact, mention Miss Elphaba at all. That is how she came to be rooming with Miss Galinda Upland; I had already made special arrangements for Miss Nessarose. Aside from two incidents here at Shiz I haven't noticed any obvious signs of problems; a certain amount of antisocial behaviour, of course, but that is only to be expected in a young woman who is not used to interacting with her peers and who is handicapped by her physical differences. Still what you have told me does explain some little behavioural quirks that I would have otherwise dismissed."

"I felt it was my duty to make you aware of the facts, Madame."

"And so you have done, thank you, Professor Torelle."

It was clearly a dismissal so Arlina gave the Headmistress a polite nod, which Madame Morrible returned. She left the room satisfied that she had done everything in her power at this time to undermine any good opinion that Madame Morrible might have developed with regard to Miss Elphaba Thropp.

* * *

AN: Translations of Quadling phrases (which belong to me) used in this chapter: 

_Keer misee na keere grei het na keers _

Hatred harms the hater more than the hated.

_Tarda jin na Yeka Dala elan je dekaljia shu jin thr yeekes aez uim jin dase ais eda. _

Above all the Great Mother shall be venerated for all our days and in all that we do.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing from Wicked except the soundtrack and the ability to look up everything I can about it on the Internet.

**Title:** Your life Could End Up Changing.

**Rating:** PG – 13/T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe. Alternate ending. Based entirely on the original Broadway cast/soundtrack and an online transcript of the show.

**Summary:** Alternate ending. What if Elphaba didn't get invited to the Emerald City straight after I'm Not That Girl?

**Authors Note:** Guess who just broke her own record for long chapters? Me! 20 whole pages of writing, right down there my darlings. Enjoy!

**Chapter Thirteen**

Elphaba arrived early to Literature class, having spent less time than she planned for with her sister; she sat down on a bench in the hallway and started reading a book.

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba."

"Good morning, Master Boq," she replied without looking up, he was the only person who had ever spoken to her _before_ Galinda decided to be friends with her.

"Ready for the exam?"

"I believe so," she replied noncommittally. "And you?"

"I'm still a little bit confused about one of the texts, the first one we studied, and I don't believe the Professor really covered the themes adequately but I hope I shall be able to write enough to pass."

"You did well enough on the first exam did you not?" offered Elphaba in a tone that wouldn't have been encouraging in another person but was for her.

"Only because you, very kindly, helped me study for it."

"As I did this time, though I don't recall any questions about themes."

"I thought I would ask the Professor but I just ended up being more confused to be honest. Her way of speaking can be a little bit perplexing."

"You may find it is because Madame Laelle is Gillikinese, they tend to be at the forefront of changes in language whereas we in Munchkinland tend to stick with the old ways of speaking."

"Yes, that must be it," agreed Boq. "May I ask what you are reading?"

"The text for the Law and Politics class, we have an exam next First Day and the Professor seems fond of sneaking in questions that haven't been covered in class to see who has been completing the reading assignments."

"Is it a difficult class?"

"It sounds easy when the Professor is talking about it but I suspect that the law and politics of the 'real' world are greatly different. The class itself, I couldn't say how you would find it, I find it quite easy."

"Yes, but you are a great deal cleverer than I am," remarked Boq almost glumly.

"That may be so, Master Boq," retorted Elphaba with a friendly/mocking edge to her voice. "But you're a great deal more attractive than I am. I'm sure it all balances out in the end."

"Ah well I umm…"

Boq had no idea what to say to _that_ he wanted to tell Miss Elphaba that she wasn't ugly but that was hardly a thing one said to her and in any case she was probably joking…

_Yes, that must be it._ He decided. _Miss Elphaba is having one of her whimsical moods._

"You had better study some more before Madame gets here," suggested Elphaba, to save the blushing Munchkin from trying to find something diplomatic to say.

Boq nodded and scurried back across the hallway just as a group of students, including Miss Rané LeJeune, came around the corner. All of them, except one, ignored Elphaba's presence and sat down as far from her as possible.

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba."

This time Elphaba had to look up and put a name to the voice of the person who had greeted her.

"Miss Rané," she said with no hint of the surprise she felt at being addressed by one of Nessa's friends – they usually acted like she was invisible.

"Is Miss Nessarose ill? I see she isn't here yet."

"She is quite well, I thank you, she had something else to do before class this morning. I'm sure she will be along presently."

"Oh. Well…thanks. Good luck with the exam."

"Luck is the last resort of people who do **not** study for their exams, Miss Rané," remarked Elphaba; still controlling her surprise at the fact Rané had spoken to her directly even if it was just to ask about Nessa. "But I thank you for the sentiment."

"You're welcome," said Rané a little uncertainly.

Fortunately Nessarose arrived, assisted by one of their other friends who'd picked her up at her room, and Rané hurried over to greet her leaving Elphaba to return to her reading.

"Good morning Nessa!"

"Rané! How are you today?" asked Nessa cheerfully. She was still annoyed at the way her sister had behaved towards Arlina but was determined not to take it out on her friends.

"Quite well, thank you, and you? I was worried you'd be late."

"I just lost track of the time," replied Nessa easily. It was true enough; she'd been studying the literature notes, which made much less sense when Elphaba wasn't there to explain it to her. "Madame Laelle is not here yet is she?"

"No, not yet."

Rané looked behind her at Miss Elphaba and lowered her voice when she spoke to Nessa again.

"You simply _must_ convince your sister to tell you what she said to Master Boq this morning – he was blushing like mad when I got here!"

"Knowing my sister it was probably just an insult to his intelligence and what you thought was a blush was him being angry but too polite to be rude to a, and I use the term loosely, lady," replied Nessa with a great deal of sarcasm in her tone. "This is _Elphaba_ we are talking about after all."

"I suppose so. Still I'd like to know, I mean Miss Elphaba _speaking_ to another student is an event in itself."

Before Nessa could think of something to say in response to that statement the Literature Professor arrived and let them into the classroom.

"Be seated, class," she instructed them. "Pens out and books away. You have three hours to complete the examination. If you finish before the time is up you may hand in your paper, leave the room **_quickly_** and go to the library or your dormitories until lunch hour. I am certain that everyone who _studied_ will have no trouble completing the examination. The papers are on your desks, you may begin when you are ready."

Madame Laelle prided herself on being able to write exam papers that took even the brightest students most of the allotted time to complete so she found it vaguely annoying when her most _vocal _student, Miss Elphaba Thropp, stood up and handed in a completed exam only an hour into the class.

"Thank you, Miss Elphaba," she said quietly, mostly repressing her irritation. "You may go now, if you are _quite_ sure you are ready to hand in your exam."

"Quite ready. Thank you Madame Laelle," replied Elphaba respectfully. She never showed her opinion of the Professor to the woman though she suspected that Madame Laelle could tell that Elphaba didn't think a lot of her class. The Professor waved her hand in dismissal and picked up the exam to read through it as Elphaba left the room.

* * *

Once outside the classroom Elphaba went to the nearest window and looked up at the clock tower to see what the time was. 

_Only half past tenth hour? I thought it took longer than that. _She stretched her fingers, cramped from writing legibly, and smiled. _No wonder Madame Laelle looked so annoyed. Ah well, Nessa won't be done for awhile yet so perhaps I shall go and see if Miss Galinda has managed to pry herself out of bed yet._

As it turn ed out Miss Galinda had pried herself out of bed only five minutes before Elphaba got back to the room. She was alternately running around the suite, trying to frantically get ready for her singing class, and moaning about how much her head hurt.

"Good morning, Galinda," said Elphaba in a cheerfully smug tone of voice.

"Elphie!" moaned Galinda. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you," insisted Elphaba with a look of almost genuine concern on her face. "You don't look at all well. Perhaps you need to go to the nurse?"

"And have her tell Madame Morrible I was suffering the ill effects of too much alcohol? No thank you! I shall just have to suff-- oh my head!"

Elphaba took pity on her roommate, even though the younger girl had brought it on herself; she went into the bedroom and took a small container out of one of her drawers.

"Here. Take one of these headache pills the nurse gave to me," offered Elphaba.

"Elphie, you're a lifesaver!" squealed Galinda then winced as it made her head hurt. "I might actually make it to class on time now."

"Since when do you care about being on time?" asked Elphaba sceptically.

"Since my singing teacher has a very penetrating voice and uses it to full advantage when she is displeased," replied Galinda, she took the bottle Elphaba had offered her. "Excuse me while I go into the bathroom to fetch a glass of water."

Elphaba shook her head slightly; she couldn't help smiling at the way Galinda occasionally dropped into a (very unfashionable) manner of formal speaking.

"I have to go back to class and wait for Nessa," she called out, after Galinda had been in bathroom for ten minutes. "Will you be alright?"

"I'm fine, Elphie, just fixing my hair!"

"Well don't forget that your class starts soon!"

"I won't!"

Elphaba smiled to herself again, she'd had a lot of experience prior to their friendship with how long it took Galinda to 'fix her hair' and she'd bet that the blonde would be late to her class.

_Still_, she decided logically. _Galinda is a grown woman, albeit a shallow and thoughtless one at times, and I'm not going to nursemaid her._

* * *

Elphaba made her way back to the classroom, prepared to tell anyone who questioned her presence in the hallway that she had permission to be out of class, and sat down on the bench outside the classroom again. Nessa wasn't waiting for her so she assumed her sister was still struggling through the exam and pulled out her Law & Politics book again. She and Nessa were supposed to be studying for the exam during their next study time and she wanted to be prepared. 

"Miss Elphaba?"

Elphaba barely managed to stop herself from wincing when she heard the Headmistress's voice just above her head. She slowly lowered the book to her lap and looked up.

"Madame Morrible?"

"Why are you not in class, Miss Elphaba?"

While it was hardly a crime for the girl to be sitting in the hallway reading a book Madame Morrible was understandably suspicious of any abnormal behaviour at the moment.

"Why are you not _in_ the classroom, miss Elphaba?"

Elphaba nearly laughed out loud when she realised the headmistress thought she had been sent out of class; luckily she managed to restrain herself and respond politely.

"We had an exam today, Madame. I went back to my room for a little while after I finished and now I am waiting for my sister."

"That will not be necessary," said Madame Morrible. "I need to speak with Miss Nessarose when this class is complete, I will wait for her and you may continue your study in a more appropriate location so as the library or your room."

"Certainly, Madame," agreed Elphaba. It was hardly unusual that Madame Morrible would want to speak to a student but it still seemed…odd. "Nessa isn't in trouble is she?"

"No, no, of course not. Just a small matter we need to discuss, nothing for you to be concerned about."

"Very well, Madame," said Elphaba. She didn't really like it when Morrible spoke to her in that almost falsely reassuring tone but knew the Headmistress wouldn't tell her anything more than that. "Please tell my sister that I will meet her in our usual study room after lunch hour."

"I will certainly pass the message on so Miss Nessarose doesn't think you have forgotten her."

Elphaba nodded, out of politeness, put the book back into her bag and walked away.

_I was certain she would insist on staying and telling her sister herself_, thought Madame Morrible. She wondered if the sisters had had a falling out and, if so, if there was some way for her to work the situation to her advantage.

* * *

Nessarose Thropp had discovered that she detested exams almost as soon as she got to Shiz. In the very first class she had the teacher had given them a written quiz on what they'd learned prior to going there and Nessa had failed horribly, resulting in a large amount of catch-up work. It wasn't that she didn't remember what they learned in class; it was just that she had trouble putting it into words when she had to answer questions without being able to ask questions. 

_It's not as if this happens out in the real world! _She thought irritably._ You don't get graded for what you know or don't know when you're a Governor. If you know then you know and if you don't you find out!_

Thankfully she finally finished the exam and she thought she'd done passably well, mainly thanks to having Elphaba's notes to read (not that she would ever tell her sister so), and she was able to wheel herself down to the front of the classroom and hand in her paper.

"Thank you, Miss Nessarose, you may go now," said the professor. "Or you can wait for one of your friends to assist you."

Most of the people Nessa knew in the class had finished quite some time before her. In fact Boq was the only person left in the room that she knew at all and she didn't want him to think she'd waited for him deliberately so she shook her head.

"Thank you, Madame, but I am sure someone will be waiting for me."

"Very well, dear. Have a good day."

To Nessa's surprise the person waiting for her in the hallway was not Elphaba…

"Madame Morrible," she said, covering her surprise with a smile at the Headmistress who was always so considerate of her. "I was expecting to se Elphaba out here, I suppose she wandered off and forgot about me."

"Does that happen often?" asked Morrible almost sharply, not bothering to correct the girl's misconception for the moment.

"Oh, not _very_ often, she sometimes goes to the library during lunch hour and gets so involved that she forgets to fetch me. It doesn't really matter, I have good friends who help me sometimes."

"As it happens, Miss Nessarose, I sent your sister away this time. I need to speak with you before lunch, if you have no other obligations?"

"Certainly, Madame Morrible," agreed Nessa, assuming that the headmistress wanted to take tea with her before lunch, something she tried to do at least once a week.

Madame Morrible took Nessarose to her sitting room, she'd already arranged for one of the servants to bring tea up, and exchanged pleasantries with the girl for a few minutes as the tea was prepared. As soon as the servant girl left the Headmistress turned the talk to more serious matters.

"I asked you here, Miss Nessarose, because I have heard some disconcerting information about your sister and I wanted to ask you, as her closest relative bar your good father, if the information is true. However, if you do not feel you can answer the questions, I am also going to write to the Governor but I need to know if the… information is going to cause any immediate problems. It is quite a grave matter and I hope you will take that into account when you decide whether to answer my questions or refer me to your father."

"This does sound _very_ serious," said Nessa in a long-suffering tone. "What has Elphaba done now?"

"As a matter of fact this is about something she did some time ago. Professor Torelle has informed me that she is acquainted quite closely with your family and I am assured that she will show no favouritism in class so your schedule will not have to be rearranged. She told me about certain…problems Miss Elphaba had as a young woman and I am infinitely curious to know why your father felt it unnecessary to share this history with me, which is what I intend to write to him about. I thought you might be able to shed some light on the subject. Of course if your father has indicated he would prefer you not to speak about it then I will not ask you any more questions but instead refer them to him."

"Arlina…I mean the Professor…told you what happened when Elphaba was thirteen?"

"She did."

"I don't remember the specifics myself, Madame, I only know what father and others told me since then but I can assure you that my father takes his responsibilities very seriously and if he had thought my sister was a danger to the school and its students he would have found someone else to send here with me. It is true that my sister is not a _stable _person but she has been very good for the last few years, the…incident when we arrived was the first time something like that has happened in years. While I was surprised that our father agreed to let her study with you I see now that it is for the best if she learns to control herself."

Nessarose had been going to say "her abnormality", which was how their father always referred to it (if he referred to it), but she realised that was not the most politic thing to say to Madame Morrible.

"My father also said to me that if anything _very _serious should happen I was to tell you that you need not bother asking his permission to send her home but simply do so. He only sent her to school to keep me company, you see, and I know both of us would prefer me to be here alone to having her embarrass our family."

"I have warned your sister that any further incidents such as what happened in History class will not be tolerated. I am certain she understands that and what I am really concerned about is whether or not she has recovered from the…illness she suffered after the magical incident."

"Oh, you mean is she in her right mind?" concluded Nessa, in a way that seemed rather too causal to Madame Morrible. "Father had Doctor examine her before he even considered the idea of letting her come to Shiz. The doctor said he thought it was a bad idea but that there was no _medical_ reason why she shouldn't come here. Of course he considers her skin discolouration a birth defect rather than a medical condition."

"Did your family doctor, I presume he is so?" When Nessa nodded she continued. "Did he elaborate on his reasoning?"

"Not in front of me, Madame, but I think he said more to Father. They often spoke together after our appointments."

"Very well. One last question, Miss Nessarose, if you do not feel it too impertinent to answer – do you believe that it is dangerous for me to allow your sister to remain at Shiz University."

"Well…I," Nessa hesitated, on the one hand this was a perfect opportunity for her to get her embarrassing sister sent home but on the other hand did she really want to be responsible for making Elphaba's life _that_ miserable?

"Please don't feel obliged to answer, my dear," said Madame Morrible, in a manner that was actually comforting for the girl. "The fact that you did not say 'yes' immediately suggests that it is safe enough to refer the matter to your father, which I shall do presently."

"I think that would be the best thing, thank you Madame."

"Not at all, my dear Miss Nessarose. Now you finish your tea before it gets cold and then join your friends for luncheon."

While they were finishing their tea in silence there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," snapped Madame imperiously.

A maid, carrying an envelope, entered the room and curtseyed to the Headmistress.

"This came by special messenger for you, Madame," she said, handing over the envelope.

"Thank you."

Noting the seal in the envelope Madame Morrible put the letter face down on the table. The bell rang for the beginning of lunch.

"Ah," said Madame Morrible, looking at the maid. "Would you be so good as to escort Miss Nessarose to the student dining room? Thank you."

"Good day to you, Madame," said Nessa, not objecting to being so summarily dismissed.

When the girl was gone Morrible picked up the letter and opened it.

_Madame Morrible,_

_The Wizard requests your presence at the Emerald Palace for a meeting with His Ozness at the tenth hour of the sixth day of this week. Please notify the Palace if you are unable to attend this appointment._

_On behalf of the Wizard,_

_Senior Secretary LeJeune._

She put the letter down again and pondered its content.

_The only reason he could want me to go there, _she thought. _Is that he wants to discuss our plans regarding Miss Elphaba and doesn't want to pass the information through the secretary._

Of course he could have written the letter himself but that would make some of the Palace officials suspicious and the last thing she needed was one of them sending someone to nose around _her_ University.

_A quick letter to the Governor while the maid packs my things and someone will need to go and organise the carriage. I must speak to Miss Elphaba and Miss Upland as well, to cancel their class…but then it really would be a shame to postpone dear Miss Galinda's class yet again…_

Fortunately it was easy to arrange a trip to the City from Shiz even on such short notice. Once she had the maid and a messenger to the stables organised she sat down at her desk to compose a letter to the Governor.

_Your Excellency,_

_It is my hope that I find you in the best of health and I hasten to assure you that the purpose of this letter is not to alarm you with news of your own daughter's ill health. Miss Nessarose remains quite well, however there are other matters I need to address to you._

_I shall be blunt, sir, and hope that you will forgive me the presumption. A new professor has recently been employed here at Shiz University, Arlina Torelle of Gillikin. I discovered today that Professor Torelle has been quite well acquainted with your family and she told me some things, which I found quite disturbing, about your older daughter. She told about some of the problems Miss Elphaba had as a young woman and questioned the young lady's suitability to attend school. I spoke briefly with Miss Nessarose, who told me she could not comment on whether or not Miss Elphaba was a danger to the other students and said I should refer my questions to your good self, which is the purpose of this letter._

_As you know I am now teaching Miss Elphaba the proper usage of her magical powers and this is something I should not have started without being in full possession of the facts about her prior medical conditions. I can understand Miss Elphaba being shy about giving me this information but I respectfully suggest, sir, that I am a trustworthy woman and should have received the information from your good self. I would ask that you now give me the information, including a full doctor's report, to assure me that it is safe to have her here or promptly remove your older daughter from the University._

_Regards,_

_Madame M. Morrible._

_Headmistress of Shiz University._

She sealed the letter with her own personal seal, as opposed to that of the university, and placed it on the section of her desk reserved for outgoing messages with a note instructing who it was to be sent to. Another knock on the door prevented her form beginning to dress for the journey, as she had been about to do.

"Enter."

It was the servant she had sent to have the carriage prepared and he looked nervous – not a good sign.

"What is it?"

"The stable master has had a message from Shiz City, Madame. They had a messenger telling them that the road to the Emerald City will be impassable until this evening due to a large storm passing through there yesterday and another one heading this way today."

"When will I be able to depart?"

"Late this afternoon or early this evening, Madame. A message will be sent to us as soon as the mail coach from Emerald City gets through to Shiz City."

"Very well. Send someone to me then."

"As you wish, Madame," replied the man

He departed, thrilled that he wasn't going to be blamed for the vagaries of the weather, and left Madame Morrible to ponder.

_I might be able to sort this storm out,_ she decided, standing up briskly.

As well as the public workroom in which Elphaba's first ever sorcery lesson had taken place Madame Morrible had a private room attached to her suite that no one was ever invited into. It was the place where she kept her spell books and other implements of magic including a large silver bowl used for magical scrying.

She still shuddered to think of the amount of damage Elphaba's first lesson had done to some of the delicate work she had set up in the room, despite the heavy shielding. That had been the main reason she had temporarily moved their lessons to an old, empty, classroom. The fact that the girl's magical residue had lingered for _days_ in her rooms made it easy to decide to turn the classroom into a permanent learning area.

The scrying bowl was already filled to the brim with water, its use happened to be one of Morrible's particular talents, especially when looking at things happening in the present. The scrying spell was exceedingly simple; she imagined a 'drop' of magic being moved from her to the bowl of water and murmured a short incantation. Once the bowl was prepared she concentrated on seeing the storm that had caused the poor road conditions.

The rain had stopped and the clouds were already breaking up, it didn't look like she would have to do anything but wait for the roads to dry out and that was something she could not speed up. The other storm might be a different matter, however, so she focused her attention on that.

Careful examination, and her extensive knowledge of weather patterns, made it obvious that it would cause far too much trouble later on to redirect the upcoming storm _now_. It seemed that if she went to the Emerald City today, and she would have too, she would not be back in time for the promised class with Miss Elphaba and Miss Galinda.

"That may not be a bad thing," said Morrible thoughtfully. "Perhaps Miss Elphaba would make some more progress than she has if she had someone to compete with. And that pair have not had their differences resolved for so long that it wouldn't be easy to make them compete again."

Thinking about Elphaba reminded Morrible of the fact she intended to record what she had learned today in her private journal. It was a leather bound book that she kept locked in this private room and spelled so that only she could open it. She opened the book to the last page she'd written on, a record of the History class incident…

An incident orchestrated by her. She smiled to herself in amusement as she reviewed the whole thing in her mind; it had worked so perfectly, though the results had been less than optimal.

Naturally she had known of the wizard's planned law against Animals being allowed to teach humans and had been aware that Dillamond would be taken away so she took the opportunity to arrange for a little test of Elphaba's control, outside the Sorcery classroom. Elphaba had responded _exactly_ as Madame Morrible had predicted she would. The older sorceress was annoyed when the girl had pushed away the binding spells as if they weren't there! When Morrible had spent **_weeks_** very cautiously and subtly placing them on Elphaba and her magic. Still it was useful in that it told her she would need to strengthen the spells next time she placed them. She couldn't help smirking as she remembered Arlina's confusion at her apparent lack of concern regarding Elphaba.

"Really," she muttered as she finished recording the conversation. She had a perfect memory and could record every word spoken. "All she has done is tell me more about how I can control the girl, and that is very useful indeed."

Madame Morrible still wasn't certain what she was going to do about the Sorcery class, obviously Galinda needed to start as soon as possible if she was going to use the minuscule amount of magic Morrible could see in her. That was why she had rejected the girl on the very first day; she didn't feel it was worth the effort of teaching her. As for her ridiculous essay _that_ had been discarded as soon as Madame Morrible read the title.

"Now if she had half of the brains Miss Elphaba does she might actually be able to _use_ what little magic she has to do something worthwhile with her power…"

Morrible tapped her pen on the desk, trying to push away the ludicrous thought that was trying to make itself known to her.

"Trying to make them work together instead of competing," she muttered, addressing the idea s if it were a living thing. "That's a fine notion _now_ because it would force Miss Upland to learn properly, and perhaps learn something about brains from Miss Elphaba, but what happens if they decide they don't like _my_ plans? No, it is far too dangerous…and yet the idea has merit.

It would certainly save me the tedium of teaching that silly blonde to hold a wand properly and Miss Elphaba is certainly capable of teaching her that much. Now that I consider the idea it seems to me that being forced to teach Miss Galinda will hardly bring them closer together, not when one remembers what a scholar Miss Elphaba is and Miss Galinda is _not_. Very good, I shall let them know this afternoon before I depart, it will be an interesting experiment."

* * *

Neither of the young woman being talked about had any idea of what Madame Morrible was planning, both of them were far more concerned with their plans for the afternoon. 

In Galinda's case this meant an extended nap (to recover from the lingering hangover), followed by a vague attempt at studying for the upcoming Law and Politics exam (made more difficult by the fact she'd lost her book at the beginning of the year).

Elphaba had arranged to meet her sister in their study room to prepare for the same exam Galinda was pointedly _not_ studying for.

The afternoon didn't start well for Elphaba, she'd taken her lunch to the rooftop garden and gotten so engrossed in a book she hadn't read that she didn't even hear the bell ring for class changes and only saw the time because she was looking up to check the weather. It was quite cold and cloudy outside but so far it didn't look like rain.

"Oh damn!" she cursed, not something she normally did, when she saw it was nearly half past one o'clock in the afternoon…she was supposed to meet Nessa _promptly_ at one.

To Elphaba's surprise Nessarose hadn't given up on waiting for her but was sitting stiffly in her chair, next to the table since Elphaba hadn't been there to make room _at_ the table for her.

_Oh curse it! She wants to talk to me about something, she must or she would have left by now._

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Nessa. I was studying and lost track of the time. Have you been waiting long?"

"Long enough considering I was here _on time_."

"I did say I was sorry. Are we studying or not?"

"I want to talk to you about something first."

_My behaviour this morning,_ guessed Elphaba silently.

"Your behaviour this morning was quite disgraceful!"

"You only saw me for five minutes, Nessa, surely I couldn't have upset you that much," said Elphaba reasonably, resisting the urge to shout at her sister.

"You know very well that I'm referring to the way you spoke to Arlina!"

"Oh I see. That."

"Yes, 'that', Elphaba! Anyone would think you learned no manners at home at all!"

"I apologise if my dislike of our former nanny upset you, Nessa."

"That's not good enough, Elphaba! She's my friend and you were rude to her."

"Well she was rude to me as well!" protested Elphaba. "Ignoring me in class yesterday, speaking to me like I'm still twelve today! I don't see why I should have to put up with that."

"Be that as it may, if you continue behaving like that towards her I _will_ write to Father and tell him that I no longer need you here with me!"

"Very well, Nessarose," said Elphaba, switching to a formal mode of speaking as a defence against an outburst of temper. "I will be polite to Professor Torelle. Are you ready to study?"

"Actually I came down here to tell you that I am going out at the second hour after noon today with some of the other young ladies. Miss Rané asked me this morning; they got a special permission from Madame Morrible to go to the Shiz City Art Gallery."

"Don't let me keep you then. I shall see you at your music class tomorrow afternoon unless you want me before then?"

"No, that is fine, thank you."

"Do you need assistance getting to where you're meeting your friends?"

"No, Elphaba, you can go."

"Goodbye Nessarose."

Elphaba walked out of the room, leaving Nessarose to take herself to the front of the school.

* * *

"There you are at last, Nessa!" exclaimed Rané. The red-haired girl was sitting on the front steps of Shiz with her roommates, Syra, Kara, and Seiana. "What took you so long?" 

"I had to wait for my sister," replied Nessa, rolling her eyes then smiling at Rané when the older girl helped her wheel herself down the ramp. "She forgot she was supposed to be meeting me this afternoon."

"What a nuisance," commented Kara, though it was uncertain if she meant the waiting or the person Nessa had been waiting _for_.

"Well let's not let it ruin our day, it took us longer than expected to track down Miss Seiana and convince her to come along anyway."

"Good day, Miss Nessarose," said Seiana softly. She was a small, quiet, girl from Gillikin though her brown hair indicated some other race in her family

"Good day, Miss Leiana,' replied Nessa. "I'm glad you decided to join us today."

"Thankyou, Miss Nessarose, I'm looking forward to seeing the Gallery."

"I'm sure it's not much compared to back home," replied Syra haughtily (the effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact she was grinning). "But one must make do with what one has."

"That was uncanny," said Rané in genuine amazement. "You sounded just like Madame Morrible!"

"Darn," said Syra pleasantly. "It was supposed to be Madame Laelle. Still Gillikin is Gillikin, close enough. Shall we go?"

"We shall," agreed Rané, the others nodded.

* * *

Elphaba watched through the window as the girls, smiling and laughing, set off down the driveway to go to the City. The Art Gallery had been one of the first places she'd visited when they came to Shiz University. It was about the second week and Nessa had made friends already, they invited her out to afternoon tea and she didn't want Elphaba around "embarrassing her" so she'd gone to the Art Gallery and collected Nessa later. 

"Well," she muttered. "I might as well go back to the suite, at least my bed is more comfortable to sit on than these chairs."

The quickest way back took her past Madame Morrible's office. Staring straight ahead she started down that hallway and stopped when she realised that someone was watching her.

It was Fiyero Tiggular, slouching against the wall next to Madame Morrible's office. He was doing a masterful job of pretending he was staring at the ceiling in utter boredom but she could tell he was watching her as well.

"A photograph lasts longer," she muttered sarcastically as she drew level with him.

"I beg your pardon?" he replied nonchalantly.

"To stare at people."

"I wasn't," retorted Fiyero defensively. "I've been looking at the ceiling since I got here."

"_I_ don't care if you were staring," she lied as well as he did. "After all, _how can _you help it?"

Before Fiyero could react, or had even realised she was mimicking his words of the night they met, she started walking down the hallway again.

He shook his head in a combination of bemusement and irritation, it was bad enough that Morrible had asked to see him again already but then she came along making accusations!

_And how did she know I was watching her anyway?_ He wondered. He had been watching her, not for any particular reason, he was just bored, but he was using an Arjiki hunter's trick and she shouldn't have been able to tell that he was watching.

"Master Tiggular, the Headmistress will see you now."

Madame Morrible's secretary interrupted his train of thought; he straightened up and followed her into the office with a bored expression on his face. The fact Elphaba had seen him watching her was far more of a mystery than any reason Madame Morrible might have for wanting to see him and he was fairly certain he hadn't done anything yet that would get him expelled. Still he could do his impression of 'Horrible Morrible' for Galinda later, that always seemed to entertain her.

* * *

The sound of the door slamming jolted Galinda awake. She half stepped half fell off the bed and stumbled into the living room to see her roommate dropping her book bag on the table with another crash. 

"Elphie?"

"Sweet Oz, Galinda, I didn't see you there!" exclaimed Elphaba, she smiled to make up for the loud voice and continued more softly. "I thought you'd be out somewhere."

"Normally I would be but no one had any interesting plans for today so I came back here to have a nap and study a little, perhaps."

"_Perhaps_," repeated Elphaba, mimicking the younger woman's Gillikinese accent so accurately that Galinda looked twice to make sure she was still talking to Elphaba.

"You do know how to talk like a civilised person!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands in mock delight.

"Of course," replied Elphaba, amazed by the way her bad mood dissolved around Galinda. "I was just talking like you for a lark."

"El_pha_ba!"

"Ga_lin_da!" Elphaba imitated her again.

"I do not talk like that!"

"Only when you're being superior, _Gaia_ dear," replied Elphaba in her usual accent. "Which, incidentally, is a great deal of the time."

"Well I can't help the fact I was born superior to most of the people here…"

Her voice trailed off when Elphaba pulled a face at her.

"Don't do that!"

"I didn't want to interrupt you by expressing my opinion verbally."

"You are infuriating, do you know that?"

"Shockingly I am reminded of it quite frequently. Most often by you until recently, my dear."

"I thought we weren't going to hold those things against each other?" protested Galinda.

"I believe the agreement was that we were going to forgive lapses of memory that result in actions similar to those of before our friendship. In any case, I was not 'holding it against you' I was simply pointing out the facts."

"Oh, well I suppose that's alright then."

"I'm thrilled to hear it. Now, what was it you were going to study?"

"It's really not important, the test isn't until first Day next week!"

"Please tell me you've done some study for the Law and Politics test," said Elphaba with a sigh, knowing that the answer was probably 'no'.

"When you say 'study'…"

"Opening a book, reading the required chapters, and making notes to memorise."

"Right…"

"Well?"

"I sort of hmm…how do I put this?" wondered Galinda.

"As succinctly as possible if you could."

Galinda muttered something completely unintelligible and even looked slightly embarrassed, despite the fact she was trying to tell herself she had no reason to be, she just knew Elphaba was going to laugh at her.

"Your pardon?" said Elphaba, restraining her amusement quite well. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said," replied Galinda, in a deliberately exaggerated Gillikinese accent because now she realised the situation _was_ funny. "I lost my Law and Politics book in the first week here."

Elphaba stared at her blankly for a moment then started laughing.

"I knew you'd laugh!"

"How can I not? Great Mother, dare I ask how you've managed to keep up in class since then?"

"I share with the other girls in class and just sort of muddle through the tests by rereading my notes, she shrugged. "I thought I'd get an early start for this one, the Professor said that if I don't pass this test he'll have me removed from the class."

Elphaba looked shocked by Galinda's matter of fact tone and apparent lack of concern.

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Of course not, it's only one class, I'm only in that class because I had to enrol for a certain number to come here. But it would be dreadfully embarrassing to be sent out, I suppose, I didn't think of that before!"

"Why don't you study this afternoon with me," suggested Elphaba quickly, to head off the impending hysterics.

"What a fantastical idea!"

Galinda smiled at Elphaba in genuine gratitude.

"I wasn't going to ask, I mean I didn't want you thinking I only wanted you to help me study or anything like that!"

"Of course not," agreed Elphaba. "It makes much more sense thanstudying on your own, if you have someone to study with. Though perhaps you would prefer to find one of our other classmates?"

"I don't want them to know I could fail the class," said Galinda instantly. In fact that was only part of her reason but she didn't want to say that it was also because Elphaba was smarter than them in case it came out wrong and sounded like she wanted Elphaba's help just for that reason.

"That's fine then, just let me put my things away and we can study."

* * *

Galinda and Elphaba were sitting, side-by-side, on the sofa of the sitting room to study. They had been working for over an hour and Elphaba was greatly surprised to find that Galinda hadn't managed to annoy her yet. In fact the blonde girl was being so reasonable about the whole thing that Elphaba had to wonder what was wrong with her. She was about to ask that very question when there was a knock on the door. 

"Come in!" called Galinda, without looking up from Elphaba's book. She expected the person at the door to be Fiyero or one of her friends.

"Good evening, Miss Upland, Miss Elphaba."

"Madame Morrible!" exclaimed both of them. They scrambled to their feet, dropping their books and notes on the floor in the process.

"It's good to see that you are hard at work, my dear young ladies. I have just come to inform you that I have been called away unexpectedly and can not teach our Sorcery class tomorrow." She raised a hand to forestall the inevitable protest from Galinda. "I know you must be very disappointed not to have had a class yet, dearie, which is why I have come here to request that Miss Elphaba tutor you while I'm away."

"What?" exclaimed Elphaba. "Begging your pardon, Madame, but I hardly think I am qualified…"

"Nonsense. You have been having lessons for several months now, I brought another copy of our text with me, and all I would like you to do is go over the most _basic_ first lessons with Miss Galinda. You may use the Sorcery classroom in case of accidents and you will only follow the text so there should not _be_ any accidents."

"But Madame surely I am not the best person to show Miss Galinda how to use a wand," pleaded Elphaba in reference to the fact that she still hadn't mastered the practice (she knew the theory extremely well) of basic wand use.

"It won't be necessary for _you_ to demonstrate, Miss Elphaba, if you do not feel up to the task. Just make sure that Miss Upland is using the correct technique."

"Yes, Madame Morrible," agreed Elphaba very reluctantly.

"This is so exciting!" gushed Galinda, completely missing the undertones of Elphaba's suggestion that she wasn't the best person to show her how to use her training wand – she took it as a compliment to Madame Morrible's teaching skills.

"Yes, yes. Before I depart, it has come to my attention that some of the young ladies were planning an excursion this evening. I do not know if you two were involved in those plans but I have issued a general order for all excursions to be cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions that are expected tonight. It will make my journey a misery I have no doubt."

"Thank you for informing us, Madame Morrible," replied Elphaba when it became clear that Galinda, who _had_ planned to go out that night, wasn't going to say anything. "I hope your journey to…where did you say you were going? Anyway I hope it is not too unpleasant."

"I didn't say," replied Morrible, raising an eyebrow at Elphaba's rather obvious attempt to probe her for information.

_Really, if the girl is going to try and manipulate someone she should be a little subtler about it! Not that any amount of subtlety would fool someone such as myself of course._

"I thank you for your well wishes, Miss Elphaba, I hope to be back in time for our Second Day class next week. Inside the textbook you will find a list of what I expect Miss Upland to have accomplished by then. If I am not back by then you may continue on to the next chapter after what I have written but no further."

Madame Morrible was certain she would be back by the next rest day in fact but she wanted to have a contingency plan in place in case she did need to stay longer in the city.

"Very well, Madame," replied Elphaba in a faintly ironic tone "We shall certainly anticipate your swift return."

"Your anticipation of my future company is most gratifying, Miss Elphaba," replied Madame Morrible very formally. "If you will excuse me, young ladies, I have a few more things to attend to before I depart for the Emerald City."

"The Emerald City?" repeated Elphaba, with badly feigned disinterest.

"I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!" exclaimed Galinda. "I do hope I shall be able to go one day!"

"If you work hard, both of you, you may get your wish. Now I must be away, good day," said Madame Morrible, showing herself out of the room without waiting to hear I the girls would bid her good day.

Elphaba took one look at the expression on Galinda's face and knew she wouldn't get any sensible conversation out of the blonde girl, let alone any more study.

"Oh Elphie! Wouldn't it be lovely to see the Emerald City?"

"And the Wizard?" exclaimed Elphaba – it seemed Galinda's enthusiasm was contagious she couldn't help joining in.

"Well of course! That's why Madame Morrible wanted to teach you, remember? And now she's teaching me as well so maybe I can go too!"

_Of course_, remembered Elphaba. _She was there when Madame was talking about telling the Wizard about me._

"I promise that if I do get invited to meet the Wizard you can come with me to the Emerald City, _Gaia_. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Galinda clapped her hands together and flopped down on the sofa.

"I hear that the Emerald City is one of the most fantastical places in all of Oz!"

"I read a book about it," replied Elphaba. "All the famous museums and the best libraries in Oz."

"Don't forget the best, and most exclusive, shops in Oz!" added Galinda.

"And do you know what I think the best thing about it will be?" said Elphaba rhetorically.

"What's that Elphie?"

"It's all green!"

* * *

AN: If anyone's wondering what happens when Morrible goes to the Emerald City you can click back to Elphie's second dream in chapter 7, it happens exactly the way she saw it. I might put it in 14 as a refresher for you all but I haven't decided yet. 

Now I don't normally beg for reviews but I think 20 pages/8100 words in less than four weeks deserves a tiny bit of acknowledgement, yes?


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** July 2010 - wow I can hardly believe it's been over **three years** (January 07) since I updated this one! Where does the time go?

I have to admit to being embarrassed by the writing technique in the first chapters (example: the fact I hadn't yet learned about commas before closing dialogue ^^, not to mention the fact chapter one is (horror of horrors lol) a songfic) but I'm choosing to use my current inspiration to write more rather than go back and edit.

I did notice that I haven't mentioned pairings up until now so I've added the main one (Elphaba/Fiyero) to the summary and here's the full list (so far): Galinda/Fiyero, one-sided Boq/Galinda, one-sided Nessa/Boq, and one-sided (heavily in denial) Elphaba/Fiyero.

According to my notes the story is also leaning towards an eventual Boq/Nessa pairing but I won't promise that until it's actually written – Elphaba/Fiyero is also eventual but will definitely happen.

**Chapter 14**

Thanks to a small intervention in the pattern of the forming storm it was an unremarkable journey to the Emerald City, one that Madame Morrible had made a number of times over the years, and the Headmistress used the time to go over the most recent messages from her various informants in Shiz City and the rest of Oz. She was not greatly surprised to learn that Arlina Torelle was a government agent sent to Shiz City to investigate rumours of dissident activity, though she did make a note to herself to keep an even closer watch on Elphaba from now on – she still believed the girl could be useful, despite Arlina's revelations, and did not want her protégée caught up in any illegal activities.

Finally she reached the Palace where she was immediately shown into the Throne Room then, once she was alone with the Wizard, into a small office normally used by his secretary.

"Good evening, Morgana," said the man behind the myth of the Wonderful Wizard. He was not very tall and looked every day of his sixty-five years of life. As Morrible sat down on the other side of the desk she fancied there was something about him she hadn't noticed before but she could not quite put her finger on it.

"I trust my invitation did not inconvenience you too greatly?" continued the Wizard as he took his seat.

"Not at all, Your Ozness," she replied obsequiously, her disdain for the man before her well concealed. "What was it you wished to speak of that we could not discuss in our correspondence?"

"I have been making plans for the future and I was wondering how the promising sorcery student you wrote to me of is coming along?"

"Unfortunately not as well as I _hoped_, Your Ozness, she is as powerful as I promised but so far has been unable to learn how to _control_ her powers. I may, however, have another student who might serve. She is not as powerful but she is much more susceptible to suggestion and her appearance is much more favourable."

"And as we know, the proper image can give more power than people might think," agreed the Wizard. "Her name?"

"Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, niece of the current Leader of Gillikin and sister of the nominated heir."

"An excellent prospect, especially considering the Gillikinese are the most important to keep on our side. Are there any other problems with the other one, Elphaba Thropp wasn't it, that I should be aware of?"

"She is very independent and has some unfortunately naïve ideas about the mistreatment of Animals," admitted Morrible. "_However_ she is also quite enamoured of the idea of being of service to the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz and I believe that will serve to help guide her in the proper direction. There may be another problem though, something else to plan for."

"Go ahead."

"Elphaba does not have the kind of appearance people would traditionally associate with a Sorceress, or whatever you would call her," admitted Morrible. "To put it bluntly she has green skin."

"Green?" repeated the Wizard in great surprise. "How on earth does something like that come about?"

"As I understand it she was born that way," said Morrible, waving away any thought of how and why in favour of the fact it could be a problem now. "I think the ideal solution would be for her, assuming she learns the control I am attempting to drill her in, to take a more behind the scenes role in serving Your Greatness while Miss Galinda becomes the more public face of the Wizard's magical servants. I don't doubt that she could make the entire country, or at least the **important** parts of it, love her with very little effort on her part."

"She's ambitious enough to take up the challenge, I assume?"

"More than ambitious enough," agreed Morrible immediately. "And not as hampered by morals as Miss Elphaba."

"What about the two young women in question," continued the Wizard. "Will they be able to work together?"

"I have not yet been able to establish that, however even if they do not I believe Elphaba could still be convinced to take a less public role in serving Your Ozness without very much effort. I am a very good judge of character, as Your Ozness is aware, and I am quite certain that she will put up with a great deal that someone else would not in order to be of service to you."

"Do you have any timeline for when they will be trained enough to take official positions?"

"Galinda is twenty years old, an upper class Gillikinese twenty mind," replied Morrible, knowing he would understand her point that Gillikinese girls of a certain rank tended to be immature (though not naïve when it came to politics and the like). "Elphaba is twenty-two, a Munchkinlander by birth – daughter of the Governor in fact but not the heir. I have led Elphaba to believe that I expect her to complete a full four years of University study and Sorcery training before I recommend her to Your Greatness but I am quite determined that it will take no more than two years of training, some of which she has already completed, before she is ready to be of use to you. I have not fully tested Galinda yet but her power is so much more insignificant that she will definitely be ready well within that time frame. At this point it is my _intention_ to train them to work as a team, rather than as rivals, but that is also an option if the former does not work out."

"I can see that, as always, you have everything well under control," said the Wizard in a complimentary tone, his statement an obvious indication that their interview was now over. "Please keep me informed of any relevant developments."

"As always, Your Ozness, I am delighted to be of service."

"I understand that the current weather conditions are preventing travel between Shiz and the Emerald City so please be my guest in the Palace until you are able to return."

"Thank you, Your Ozness."

* * *

After Madame Morrible left their suite Elphaba and Galinda continued to study until, much to Galinda's surprise that they had spent so long on it, the warning bell rang for the evening meal.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Galinda. "It's only a quarter-hour until dinner and I haven't changed yet!"

"I doubt very much that the world will end if you wear the same dress to dinner that you've had on all day," replied Elphaba, rolling her eyes as Galinda leapt to her feet and sent their books and notes flying over the floor.

Galinda shot her roommate a 'well that's what **you** think' look and hurried into the bedroom, calling back that Elphaba wasn't to worry about tidying her things up.

"That would be fine," said Elphaba, knowing Galinda could hear her through the open door. "But I think you'll find it was **my** notes you just scattered all over the place!"

"Sorry, Elphie!" Galinda called back as she rummaged through the wardrobe. "Have you seen my blue dress?"

"You have _five_ blue dresses," Elphaba replied with a slight smile that Galinda could hear and imagine if not actually see. "Which one are you referring to?"

"I know I have five but only one of them is suitable for wearing to dinner here!"

Galinda was clearly scandalised, once again, by Elphaba's lack of knowledge when it came to proper clothing.

"Well when did you wear it last?" asked the older girl as she put the notes back into proper order on the small table in the living room.

"Maybe I should wear my purple dress instead," mused Galinda. "Have you seen that one?"

"You have _seven_ purple dresses," said Elphaba with a long suffering sigh.

"The one I'm looking for is dark purple."

"Four."

"And long, the skirt goes past my knees to a point that's nearly unfashionable!"

"Two, and they're both under your bed where you kicked them."

"What! Why would I do that?"

"You did it two weeks ago after declaring that purple was the most hideodious colour in the world and you were never, ever, going to wear it again."

"Oh," said Galinda, vaguely recalling the day in question as one where she'd been feeling 'a little under the weather'. "Well maybe I should wear my pink dress then."

"You have exactly six minutes, before dinner starts, to decide which one," said Elphaba helpfully as she came into the bedroom to put their (mostly her) books and notes away.

"That's not nearly enough time! Which one should I wear?"

"Not this again, Galinda, please."

"I promise to wear what you pick," said the blonde girl coaxingly.

"You know I have not the first idea what is appropriate," protested Elphaba. "And in case you haven't noticed you have _fifteen_ pink dresses!"

"It just has to be, you know, proper."

"No, Galinda, I don't know – that's my point!"

"Long and semiformal but not too formal and…"

"You could have picked for yourself by now," interrupted Elphaba. "Fine, what about the dark pink with the purple trim on the frilly bits of the skirt? You haven't worn that one since the second week of school and it's still hanging up so I assume it wasn't included when you decided to hate all things dark purple."

"You're a lifesaver, Elphie, thank you!"

Elphaba chuckled to herself and sat down on her bed, for once not covered in Galina's discarded choices, while the blonde girl raced into the bathroom to change.

"Aren't you coming?" said Galinda as she breathlessly exited the bathroom just as the bell indicating students should be on their way to dinner rang. Elphaba was still sitting on her bed, apparently deeply engrossed in her reading. Elphaba didn't answer verbally, just lowered the book slightly and looked at Galinda over the top of her glasses.

"Right, silly me, I forgot that you don't like going near the other people," said Galinda apologetically. "Well just don't get so caught up in your…History of Ozian Politics? Ugh how boring! That you forget to get food before the dining hall closes."

"If you've quite finished impersonating an older sister?" said Elphaba, choosing quite deliberately to hold her tongue and not point out that Galinda's 'fashionable' eating habits weren't that much healthier than her own tendency to skip meals when she was caught in her work.

"I had better hurry or I'll be late! Goodbye, Elphie, enjoy your book!"

* * *

The dining room was fuller than usual, due to Madame Morrible's cancellation of all excursions that evening, fortunately Galinda's dearest friends at Shiz had saved seats at their table for her and Fiyero.

"Fiyero isn't here yet?" asked Shen Shen curiously. "I do hope he isn't unwell?"

"That would be awful," agreed Pfannee with a nod, though she seemed much more interested in her dinner.

"No, he's supposed to meet me here," replied Galinda. "There are so many people in here tonight that I cannot see him anywhere!"

"I'm sure he'll turn up, what boy could possibly miss spending time with **us**?" replied Shen Shen, with all the confidence of Gillikinese young womanhood. It had been well-established among the girls of Shiz (those that mattered anyway) that Misses Galinda, Shen Shen, and Pfannee were the most beautiful, popular, and eligible young ladies in the First Year class.

"Well, of course!" agreed Galinda immediately. "There was never any doubt of that! But enough about me, for the moment, Miss Pfannee you seem positively distracted this evening – I hope nothing is wrong?"

"Wrong?" repeated the other girl then smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, Miss Galinda, but thank you for asking. I was just thinking about what I am going to wear to lunch tomorrow."

"And speaking of lunch, will you be joining us?" wondered Shen Shen. "Since Madame Morrible is not going to be here for your Sorcery class? Isn't it such a pity, Pfannee, that poor Galinda finally got into the class and hasn't been able to have a single lesson yet!"

"Actually," said Galinda, knowing she would have to admit this and bracing herself for the inevitable responses. "Madame Morrible asked Miss Elphaba to go through the first lesson with me, so I will have a class tomorrow morning **but** I will certainly not let her keep me in past lunchtime! If it was Madame Morrible of course I'd have no choice but tomorrow I shall definitely be able to join you for lunch."

"Oh how rotten for you!" exclaimed Shen Shen. "I'm sure it will perfectly dreary!"

"I think, considering what happened in History when Doctor Dillamond was taken away, Galinda must be hoping for _dreary_!" replied Pfannee with a shudder, drawn out of her reverie by the memory.

"Indeed!" agreed Shen Shen emphatically. "How lucky you were to miss that experience!"

"I'm sure Elphaba didn't mean to _hurt_ anyone," said Galinda quietly. She knew that, after the party at the Oz Dust, her friends had accepted her lack of dislike for Elphaba but didn't really understand. "She just gets so worked up about things."

"Well…" began Shen Shen, drawing herself up into a posture that suggested a tirade about to begin.

"Well no one was **hurt**," interrupted Pfannee, remembering that they wanted Galinda to remain friends with them even if it meant accepting her tolerance for the resident freak.

"Yes, exactly," agreed Shen Shen, after Pfannee kicked her under the table and shot her a warning look. "So we don't need to mention it again."

"Of course we shall want to hear all about what you are learning," added Pfannee. "I'm sure it will be quite fascinating."

Galinda glanced around to make sure no one nearby could hear her reply before answering.

"Madame Morrible doesn't think I 'have what it takes'," she confided to her friends. "She told me so, at the Oz Dust, when she gave me the training wand. Naturally I'm determined to prove her wrong!"

"Well of course you will!" said Shen Shen immediately, their friend having half retreated back into her daydreams.

"Yes, of course," agreed Pfannee belatedly. "Madame probably thinks the world will **end** if she says anything nice to anyone, ever!"

Shen Shen tactfully didn't reply with her immediate answer to Pfannee's comment, which was to point out that Madame had been shockingly nice to Elphaba Thropp on the first day of school.

"Exactly!" she agreed instead. "She took one of our classes one day, when the usual Professor was sick, and didn't say anything even when one of those bookish types got every question right!"

"But she did go on for a full five minutes about how terrible poor Shen Shen's writing on the chalkboard was later on," added Pfannee, patting her friend's arm sympathetically. "So it seems that if she doesn't say anything you're probably not failing horribly at least!"

"That is a great comfort to me!" said Galinda cheerfully. "Oh look, there's Fiyero!"

The girls fell silent while Galinda waved to get his attention and subtly rearranged themselves into their most attractive poses.

"Good evening, ladies," said Fiyero, despite his (not completely undeserved) scandalacious reputation, he was always polite in public. "Miss Shen Shen and Miss…Pfannee isn't it? How are you both this evening?"

"I am very well, thank you," replied Shen Shen with a flirtatious flutter of her eyelids. "It is so delightful to see you again!"

"I am feeling a little under the weather," responded Pfannee. "A slight headache from this storm that's got us all stuck inside on a Fifth Day evening. In fact I was just about to leave, I do apologise."

"You don't need to be sorry!" said Galinda immediately. "You should go and lie down, I'm sure it will help your headache!"

Of course a 'slight headache' was Gillikinese code for a wide range of ailments, physical and emotional, but no one would pry when a friend used it as an excuse unless they were offered an explanation.

"Please don't feel you have to stay because I'm here," agreed Fiyero, silently thankful to have one less hyperactive friend of Galinda's hanging on his every word – he didn't mind being adored by groups of pretty girls but they could be **so** tiring at times!

"Yes, go and rest," insisted Shen Shen. "I promise I'll be ever so quiet when I come back to our room."

The girls were lucky enough to be two of the few students who had a room they only shared with one other person.

"Thank you all," said Pfannee, gratefully abandoning her half eaten dinner. "Good evening."

"I hope your friend didn't go just because I got here," said Fiyero, once the girl had vanished into the crowd. "I wouldn't like to think I'd offended her."

"Oh not at all!" Shen Shen assured him with a giggle. "Poor Pfannee was not feeling well long before you arrived. She's been quiet all afternoon, which is most unlike her let me assure you!"

"I do remember her being much more talkative," agreed Fiyero then changed the subject to one he knew they'd enjoy - themselves. "How have your afternoons been, ladies?"

"Positively detestable!" replied Shen Shen immediately. "Mama insisted that I take a Protocol and Etiquette class, it is simply the dreariest subject you can imagine! When one already knows these things, that is, I'm sure all the poor little country mice that haven't had the benefits of a proper upbringing are getting something out of it."

"I have the same class but on a Third Day morning," said Galinda. "The Professor is infinitely tedious! As for me I spent the afternoon studying - if you can believe it! - for a Law and Politics test next week. Of course I wouldn't have bothered with anything so mind numbing except Shiz is so much more particular about test results than my last University was!"

"As if any of our test results here are going to matter in the real world," scoffed Shen Shen, her sentiments echoed by a nod of agreement from Fiyero. "Of course it would be frightful to be expelled for failing classes at such a prestigious establishment as Shiz University so it is understandable that we must bring ourselves to study sometimes even though we have far more _important_ things to do!"

"I spent the afternoon studying myself," admitted Fiyero, making a face at the thought. "Trying to, at least, and only because Madame Morrible made it quite clear that she doesn't really want me as a student here because of my "poor academic record" at other schools. Apparently she thinks I might be a bad influence, can you imagine?"

Galinda and Shen Shen both giggled at his tone then shook their heads, how could Madame Morrible think it was a bad thing that Oz's (now former) most eligible bachelor had chosen her school to attend?

"Well," said Shen Shen, taking it upon herself to keep things moving. "You will never guess what I heard from Kaylin Terian today!"

The conversation continued in a similar vein of gossip and other shallow topics, as Fiyero had said the day he arrived, why think about things when it was much easier to just drift through life?

* * *

Once she knew most of the students would be well into their dinner hour Elphaba put down her copy of The History of Ozian Politics and went to the library with the intention of picking up some supplementary reading material. The librarian directed her to one of the furthest corners of the large library; Elphaba found several of the books she was looking for then, as she moved along the shelves, heard the sound of muffled crying.

Her immediate instinct was to leave the area straight away, with the assumption that no matter how upset the person was they wouldn't want anyone to see them let alone a social outcast with dubious skills at offering sympathy, but she hesitated in response to an inner prompting for long enough to look through a gap in the shelves and see the taller of Galinda's' "dearest, darlingest" friends curled up on the wobbly old sofa. She had a crumpled piece of parchment in one hand and was ineffectually dabbing at silent tears with a handkerchief held in the other.

From far too many occasions when all three of the girls had mocked her she remembered that this one was Pfannee though, due to the Gillikinese fashion for what Munchkinlanders considered extreme informality, she'd never heard the girl's surname. The identity of the hiding person should have confirmed that leaving was the best thing she could possibly do, but…

Elphaba sighed inaudibly and finished her thought; if she was going to consider herself superior to the girls because she rarely retaliated in kind to their cruelty then she could hardly walk away now without knowing she was a hypocrite of the worst kind, she had to try to comfort the girl even though she was most likely to be rudely sent away.

"Miss Pfannee," she said, stepping around the shelf. "I beg your pardon for being familiar, I don't know your surname. Are you unwell?"

This was the first time Elphaba had ever spoken in such a friendly, gentle, tone within Pfannee's hearing so it took the younger girl a few moments to realise who had spoken to her.

"I might have known **you** would be the one skulking around down here spying on people!" snapped the Gillikinese girl, not really registering what Elphaba had said only the fact she was there and intruding.

"I was looking for some reference texts when I heard you crying," replied Elphaba, trying not to be too harsh in her defensiveness. "Hardly 'spying' or 'skulking'!"

"I am not crying," said Pfannee immediately. "It's all the wretched dust down here making my allergies act up is all!"

"Of course," said Elphaba, surprising herself with how conciliatory her tone was. "I apologise for intruding, I can see you would prefer to be left alone or you would hardly be hiding down here."

"Even if you did think I was crying, which I was not, why did you even bother coming to talk to **me**?" replied Pfannee, surprising both of them with the fact she sounded curious but not rude. "Because I am Galinda's friend, I suppose."

"Not because you are Galinda's friend," denied Elphaba immediately. "Because it sounded like you were hurt and, whatever you may think of me, I couldn't leave a person in pain alone without at least trying to help."

"You are a very strange person, Miss Thropp."

"You must be in some distress, from your allergies of course, Miss Pfannee, to refer to me as a person rather than by some unimaginative epithet such as 'artichoke'."

"I am glad you stopped trying to be nice, it was quite discomforting."

"If I had realised being impolite would reassure you I would have begun that way."

"It very nearly made me forget why I was down here in the first place. Now that I have remembered again would you please leave me alone?"

"Of course. As I said I should have guessed you wanted to be alone or you would have gone to Galinda or one of your other friends for company."

"I came down here specifically to avoid them," admitted Pfannee. "There are some things one simply does not share, even with one's closest friends."

"I wouldn't know," said Elphaba in a matter of fact tone. "Galinda is the only friend I've ever had, at least she says we're friends, but it is only a recent development so I don't know the rules yet."

"You shall just have to take my word for it then."

"That's it?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"No snide remarks about why Galinda might _claim _to be my friend? Miss Pfannee it is most rude of you to fail to meet my expectations of you like this, if you keep it up I may have revise my initial impression of you – and by extension all of Galinda's friends - and something like that could cause the world to turn upside down."

"To keep the world in its proper place let us assume I have made the expected remarks and you have given the expected responses then," suggested Pfannee semiseriously. "I do not have the energy to actually exchange witty repartee with you this evening."

"Given that your repartee has never been particularly witty that seems like a reasonable arrangement to me," agreed Elphaba. "Are you feeling better about the inherent peculiarity of this situation now? We are still having a conversation but at least we have retained our usual level of thinly disguised incivility hmm?"

"You're still strange and I still do not see why Galinda is suddenly interested in talking to you."

"I still don't like you either," concurred Elphaba. "Now that we've settled that I shall take my books and be on my way. I hope your…allergies improve soon."

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Give me a moment to recover from the shock of you admitting you know the meaning of such a big word then you may ask as many questions as you like, though I don't promise to answer."

"Are you polite to anyone, ever?" exclaimed Pfannee.

"Was that the question? If it was I retract my earlier statement about you knowing what 'hypothetical' means."

"That was an unintentional question caused by the fact you were being rude to me and I have never actually heard you be polite to anyone who wasn't a teacher."

"Oh I see, so when you said 'anyone, ever' you actually meant 'any student, ever' – no need to answer, that was hypothetical. The answer is that I am quite capable of being polite, I just don't see the point with those who have no intention of being polite to me. What was your _hypothetical_ question?"

"I don't believe I want to ask it now."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of you when you're trying to be serious, it is a terrible habit of mine. Please, if you still want to ask, go ahead and ask."

"As it is only a hypothetical question I suppose there is no harm in asking it, in spite of your manners. Suppose someone you didn't know very well needed to talk to someone who didn't know them very well about something that was important and sort of secret – could they trust you not to tell anyone, not even your roommate or sister?"

"Knowing how desperate anyone would have to be for _me_ to be the only person they could find to talk to I'd certainly be willing to listen, hypothetically of course, and I would never tell another person's secrets to anyone."

"The thing is everyone…that is everyone who might care and gossip about it…is going to know soon anyway but even the ones who are my friends, Galinda, Shen Shen, and the rest, will care more about the scandal than the people involved.

It's worse because there are only two people directly involved and I'm the only one in range so to speak. Of course I could tell them how I **feel**…if I wanted _everyone_ in Gillikin to know what I'd said," she stopped speaking for a moment when she saw the questioning expression on Elphaba's face and explained: "Being friends in Gillikin means being aware that anything you say may be repeated later but you aren't Gillikinese so you wouldn't understand that. Would you like to sit down?"

"Thank you," said Elphaba, automatically sitting as far as possible from the other girl's end of the sofa. "And you're absolutely right, the Gillikinese way of being friends does seem just a little bit peculiar to me. At least I'm forewarned now."

"Forewarned?"

"As I told you, Galinda says she and I are friends now and she is Gillikinese – not that I have anything to tell her that she might gossip about but if I ever do I'll know better than to tell her if I want to keep it a secret."

"I've never known anyone who was friends with a Munchkinlander let alone been friends with one myself so I couldn't tell you if the rules are different, better to be cautious," agreed Pfannee. "Of course a girl always has the option to make the occasional exception to the rule and choose not to tell her friends everything about everything."

"Which led us to your hypothetical question," observed Elphaba, a less than subtle hint to Pfannee to decide if she wanted to talk or not about what was bothering her.

"Thank you for allowing me the pretence, I know you know that I knew you knew what I was talking about."

"I did, and do, though it's a wonder that most of you manage to keep track if you talk like that all of the time," Elphaba replied in a good-natured tone.

"I have a similar problem when scholarly types start spouting long, complicated, explanations," replied Pfannee with a similar lack of antagonism. "Do you think I am a horrible person?"

"Are you certain I'm the person you want to ask that question?" said Elphaba uncertainly. "All things considered."

"I **need** an honest opinion, that's one of the other reasons I can't talk to my friends about this. They'd just be nice and on my side and I **have** to know if I'm just so horrible that the young man I was supposed to marry would rather disappear without a word than become engaged to me! He didn't even write to me, I had to hear it from my mother who heard it from his mother!"

"Well no, I don't think you're as awful as that," said Elphaba ingenuously. "Did the young man actually leave a note or something saying that was the reason he was going?"

Even though she had asked for it Pfannee was surprised to hear such a blunt response and it took her a moment to comprehend the question.

"Well I…Mama writes that he had no reason to disappear, she doesn't specifically say it was because we were going to announce our engagement soon, but she strongly implies that it's the only possible explanation. He comes from a good family, he was attending a prestigious university, and we **wanted** to get married!"

"Obviously my only experience in this sort of situation is what I've read in books but have you considered the idea, and I apologise for the cliché, that it's not you but him? Many people have been to known to suffer from a crisis of identity as they reach the age where they are expected to at least _start_ behaving like adults instead of adolescents. Maybe your friend just needs some time away to think about things. Of course it's incredibly callous of him not to contact you personally and I hope he feels terrible about it!"

"You don't sound at all happy about me being upset!" exclaimed Pfannee, finally realising what was bothering her about Elphaba's response.

"Why in Oz should I be happy that some louse has broken your heart? For Oz sake, what sort of person do you think I am?"

"The way I've treated you since we got here," said Pfannee. "And you weren't exactly nice, not that I expected you to be when we weren't being nice to you and I wouldn't have wanted you to be nice to me because that would have been not right and…do you have this effect on **everyone** who tries to have a conversation with you?"

"The pool of subjects is far too small for me to be able to answer that accurately."

"What?"

"Not enough people have tried to have conversations with me for the number who started stammering and confusing themselves to be an accurate representation of the general effect of having a conversation with me."

"You say that like it should make sense. It still doesn't."

"Not many people talk to me so it depends on how you define 'everyone'. My turn now, just to clarify something, you expected me to be _happy_ that you were upset because of the way you, and Galinda and your other friends, have been treating me since I got here – yes?"

"That's what I was trying to say…so why aren't you?"

"Where would I start?" replied Elphaba with a chuckle, the first time Pfannee had heard her do so without mocking someone. "Let it suffice to say that acting like nearly everyone I've ever met is not enough to make me take delight in your misery."

"You're slipping, Miss Thropp, that almost made sense."

"If only I spoke Gillikinese, I could translate for you."

"If only I spoke Munchkinlander, I could translate for myself."

"You seem a little more yourself, Miss Pfannee – you really must tell me your surname if you want me to be more polite in addressing you, did talking help at all?"

"Talking to someone _sensible_ did," replied the Gillikinese girl, making the rare concession of admitting a general shortcoming of her peers. "My full name is Pfannee Rehanna Corridell Sendrian, but in Gillikin no one younger than my mother calls me Miss Sendrian and we **are** in Gillikin."

"You might have just said it wouldn't offend you to be referred to as 'Miss Pfannee'."

"I might, but I was raised to speak properly and…"

"As complexly as possible no matter the simplicity of the topic?"

"Yes, exactly. No, wait, what? Miss Elphaba, you did that on purpose!"

"You Gillikinese girls do make it so easy for me."

"I've just realised something," said Pfannee, in a change of subject that might have seemed rude if Elphaba hadn't very quickly gotten used to Galinda's habit of the same. "I don't completely dislike you anymore!"

"I am not familiar enough with the intricacies of Gillikinese interpersonal relationships for th to have much meaning, Miss Pfannee, you're going to have to translate for me."

"It means you're a friend of a friend and we're acquainted in a positive fashion so I won't talk about you behind your back, unless someone else starts it and I'm agreeing so they don't think I'm acting strangely, but I'd prefer it if you never, ever, approached me in public in a fashion that would suggest to the casual observer that our acquaintance is anything more than a case of sharing a mutual friend who would be upset if we continued to dislike each other."

"This conversation has really helped me realise **how** Gillikinese girls manage to talk so much, for so long, about _nothing_ at all. Does it take a lot of practice to be able to actually keep up a conversation without stopping to translate?"

"I suspect that you aren't taking me seriously."

"If you only suspect it I must not be trying hard enough," countered Elphaba, smiling as she said it. "It seems to me that you don't wish for me to expect you to acknowledge my existence, once this conversation is over, and I assume this particularly applies if Miss Galinda is not present."

"Oh good, you do understand!"

"I am beginning to have an inkling, despite being hampered by my isolated Munchkinland upbringing."

"Well we can't all be Gillikinese."

"Indeed or you'd have no one to look down on, except each other naturally but at a certain point someone would have no one to look down on and as far as I have observed you can't be properly Gillikinese without looking down on _someone_."

"All this time we've been at school and I never realised you were paying attention like that!" replied Pfannee, clearly surprised by the idea. "I'm not certain I like the idea, I mean why would you bother?"

"Call it an anthropological study, if it makes you feel better to think of it that way. I bother because the people of Gillikin are one quarter of Oz, the country that is - the people comprise a higher percentage of the population, and I want to learn about more than the little corner of the world I grew up in."

"Oh I didn't think you actually **enjoyed** all of the learning they make us do here. We just assumed it was your way of compensating for being…um…"

Much to Elphaba's surprise Pfannee actually stopped herself before she said something insulting.

"Unpopular and unattractive?" suggested Elphaba, to show that she knew well enough what Pfannee was going to say and wasn't particularly offended by it.

"Since you said it first, yes."

"A combination of the two; learning happens to be something I'm good at that I also enjoy doing."

"My Mama always says a girl should play to her strengths and academic achievement is really your only option. That it also happens to come easily to you is an extra advantage."

"As fascinating as I find your analysis of me, Miss Pfannee, I have several tests I need to study for – unless you feel you need me to stay, for further conversation about my flaws and so on naturally, not because of your allergies."

"You really don't think I'm horrible?"

"I think you behave like a normal Gillikinese girl," replied Elphaba honestly. "While the way you've treated me cannot be called nice by any means I don't believe that someone who knows you well and whom you like could find fault with the way you treat them, particularly someone who has grown up in your culture and expects the kind of behaviours we've been discussing. In short, the answer to your question is still no and I hope you at least know me well enough to know I wouldn't lie to spare your feelings."

"You certainly have been brutally honest, even for a Munchkinlander, since you got here," agreed Pfannee. "If someone had told me before today that having an actual conversation with you would make me feel better about something, I would have laughed."

"Likewise if they'd told me I'd actually care that you were feeling bad about something," Elphaba assured her. "Let alone that the result would be moving up from being alternately mocked and ignored to the status of 'acquaintance who must not speak to Miss Pfannee in front of other people'. Of course it goes without saying that I will also never admit to having an actual conversation with you, it would be a close thing as to which one of us was more mortified by the idea of people knowing that yes?"

"Definitely me," said Pfannee immediately. "I have more friends than you to be embarrassed in front of."

"Excellent point, it didn't occur to me the degree of embarrassment would be connected to the number of people whose opinions you really care about – there aren't enough of them in my life for it to make much difference."

"Everybody cares what people think of them," said Pfannee, vaguely annoyed by Elphaba's entirely accurate response.

"Call it different levels of caring then."

"That's acceptable, if you cared more about what people thought you would have tried to change their opinions of you."

"Precisely my point. Of course it is also possible I just recognised a lost cause when I saw one and chose to conserve my energy."

"At least everyone who doesn't want to get on Galinda's bad side will just ignore you now, instead of the pranks, insults, and so on."

"A definite and unexpected advantage to being the subject of one of Galinda's whims."

"You sound like you don't care that she wants to be your friend."

"I care very much that she wants to be friends with me, what I do not care about is the fact that she is 'Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands'," explained Elphaba, warming up to the subject in a surprising fit of verbosity. "Don't you think that if I saw any purpose in getting caught up in rank I would have made a point of the fact that, strictly speaking and Gillikinese superiority complexes aside, my position as daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland means that the only people in the school who actually outrank me are my sister and the Prince of the Vinkus?

Of course I know we aren't supposed to consider our rank at Shiz, all being equal in the realms of education and so on, but I also know that the fact Galinda's uncle rules Gillikin has a great deal to do with her popularity. What you Gillikinese seem to miss is the idea that some people don't **want** to be popular, in my case – even if it were possible – because I know very well that nearly everyone would only be looking to advance themselves.

Please don't think I mean to imply such a thing about your friendship with Galinda in that statement, I am sure the two of you would be friends no matter what your respective ranks were, the fact that you happen to be currently equal is just an added bonus. I'm talking too much aren't I? I do apologise, Miss Pfannee, I forgot for a moment that this wasn't a class discussion."

"I'm not sure what to say," said Pfannee, she was confused but not offended. "I shall have to think about it, this new side of your personality is most jarring for someone who has been used to your public persona."

"Should I apologise for making you think?" teased Elphaba.

"You most certainly should!" agreed Pfannee emphatically.

"Then I do."

"Apology accepted. I'm going to go to my room and lie down now, I told Shen Shen I'd be there when she got back from dinner and she'll ask too many questions if I'm not."

"Of course," said Elphaba, happy to accept that the conversation and brief camaraderie were now over. "If you ever want to talk to someone hypothetically again, well you could come and find me if you wanted."

"I most fervently hope that nothing this catastrophic happens again! But if it does I shall keep you in mind. Good evening, Miss Thropp."

"Good evening, Miss Pfannee."

Elphaba waited until the other girl was out of sight then stood up from the sofa and continued her foray into the shelves, silently still very bemused by the entire encounter, it had certainly caused her to revise again her opinion of the Gillikinese as a group of people.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: as you can see I found some more inspiration for the story and there's a new chapter :) hopefully the progress will continue! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted chapter 14!

* * *

For as long as she could remember Nessarose had always hated thunderstorms, especially at night when she was alone and helpless in her bed. She managed to convince herself that she would be fine but now she was alone in the dark and the thunder and lightning were right over Shiz University. Just as she was about to thoroughly embarrass herself (as she saw it) by ringing for her maid to come and sit with her Nessa heard the bedroom door being carefully opened.

"Who is there?" she called out imperiously, unsuccessfully attempting to hide the tremor in her voice.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

Nessarose relaxed when she heard her sister's voice, of course Elphaba knew how terrified she was of storms.

"Elphaba, what are you doing out of your room at this time of night?"

"No one saw me, if that's what's worrying you. I just wanted to make sure you weren't upset, I know how you don't like storms."

"Oh well I am fine," said Nessa haughtily. "But you should stay for a little while, just in case someone saw you wandering around – it would be very embarrassing for me if you were caught sneaking around after curfew **again**."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to embarrass you _again_."

"You might come and sit on the bed, if you like," said Nessa with air of one bestowing a great favour.

"Thank you," said Elphaba. "Shall I light the lamp?"

"No, thank you."

Nessarose heard Elphaba's feet on the carpet then felt the mattress shift slightly as her sister took up her customary position, sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed. Overhead, seeming as though it was almost in the room, the thunder crashed loudly and Elphaba felt Nessa flinch.

"Hush, _dané sora_, you're safe."

"Sing the song for me, Elphaba," whispered Nessarose, referring to a Quadling song her sister always sang for her when she was afraid of a storm. It was a song Elphaba had learned from their mother singing it to her, before Nessa was born. The Quadlings believed that particularly violent storms were caused by evil wind spirits coming to steal their children's souls and the song was used to keep the spirits away.

"Of course," Elphaba didn't believe in evil wind spirits, she didn't know if their mother had, but she knew that the song would make her sister feel safe and let her sleep so she was more than happy to oblige.

"_Kora Kore dey! Kora Kore dey!  
__Yekali je sey! Yekada jer seye!  
__Seya yu dama, Sar dae caem!  
__Sar yéa caelm dae harrés, Sar yéa kaem dae tarrés.  
__Yé adére dae ja, Yé tar aes sar dae de._"

It was a short, quiet, song and Elphaba sang it through three times before she heard Nessa's breathing deepen and realised that her sister was asleep. Smiling she sat at the end of the bed for awhile longer, listening to the thunder crash overhead and watching the flashes of lightning through the curtains. Once she was sure that Nessa was definitely asleep she eased herself off of the bed and crept out of the room.

* * *

When she returned to the suite she shared with Galinda Elphaba saw that there was a light on in the bedroom and realised that Galinda must have woken up.

"Elphie!" Galinda was sitting up in bed when Elphaba, by way of the bathroom to put her nightgown on, entered the bedroom. "Where have you _been_?"

"I just went to check on my sister," replied Elphaba, her calm tone contrasting quite obviously with Galinda's exclamation. The green girl sat down on the side of her bed and began unbraiding her hair so that she could brush it. "Why? Did the room monitors actually check the beds for once?"

"No, but I woke up and you were **gone**!"

"Silly _Gaia_, where in Oz did you think I was going to _go_? Besides, you were asleep when I left."

"I don't see how you could know, with the lights being off," protested Galinda sulkily.

"You were snoring, dear, it seemed fairly certain."

"I do not _snore_!"

"Galinda, I have been sharing a room with you for months, I can assure you quite confidently that you do indeed _snore_ – though only when you sleep on your back, you may want to keep that in mind for when you're married."

There was another crash of thunder and Galinda, distracted from what Elphaba was saying by the noise, shrieked loudly.

"Was that really necessary?" said Elphaba as she started to braid her hair up again. "Don't you think the storm is making enough noise _without_ your contributions?"

"I loathe thunderstorms!"

"It's only weather, Galinda, and we're inside. There's hardly anything to worry about."

"If it's nothing to worry about then why did you need to sneak out to check on your sister?" replied Galinda grumpily.

"Galinda if you're going to get jealous of me spending time with my sister this friendship really is _not_ going to work," said Elphaba patiently. "Now can we please go to sleep? I know what you're like when you stay up late and it's going to be difficult enough for me to try and explain the sorcery lesson to you tomorrow."

"Don't you think I can do it?" asked Galinda in a hurt tone.

"I have no idea, to be honest, I was actually referring to my abilities as a teacher. Why would you think that I'd think that? I thought you _wanted_ to study sorcery? You said so on the first day here."

"Madame Morrible doesn't think I 'have what it takes'," admitted the Gillikinese girl, looking away from Elphaba. "She said so, when she gave me my training wand."

"I don't see how she could possibly know, without even letting you _try_," said Elphaba sceptically. "I'm sure you couldn't possibly be worse at it than I am."

"But you're so…I mean the things you have done!"

"When I lose my temper," corrected Elphaba. "Sorcery class is a whole different matter and if Madame Morrible was going to be here tomorrow you'd see very quickly that she is not at all impressed by what I am able to accomplish in class. Frankly I think this idea of me teaching you is some kind of test for me and that she doesn't think I'm going to achieve anything. I'm sure she intends to teach you _properly_ once she gets back so don't fret too much about tomorrow."

"Oh I'm not worried or anything," said Galinda with a false sounding laugh. "Of course Madame was just trying to motivate me, or something."

Elphaba chuckled a little at the tone of the last part of the sentence and agreed: "Or something."

"Perhaps she was just in a bad mood because you made her include me," decided Galinda.

"I don't doubt it," agreed Elphaba, recalling how much persuasion it had taken for her to get Galinda into the class. "She made her feelings about it quite clear to me."

"Is sorcery hard?"

"For me? Very! But, as Madame keeps telling me, every Sorceress has a different talent and it's all a matter of finding one's own right way of doing things," replied Elphaba, mimicking Morrible's accent perfectly. "Once, as she says quite emphatically, one has mastered the Basics. Which I haven't, yet."

"Well if **you** can't, what hope have I got?" wondered Galinda despondently.

"You can't base your expectations on our other classes together," said Elphaba reassuringly. "Sorcery isn't a matter of memorising texts or writing essays, it is control and instinct and power and finding the right balance between all of those things."

"If that little bit of Munchkinlander mysticism, I had no idea there was such a thing by the way, was supposed to make me feel more confident about sorcery class…well it didn't."

"That was Quadling mysticism, my sweet, Munchkinlanders are far too pragmatic for such a thing. I can only apologise for the fact my honesty does not reassure you, I won't apologise for being honest."

"You never have yet, apologised for being honest that is, and I don't expect it to change just because you don't dislike me so strongly anymore."

"Sometimes I even like you," said Elphaba, pulling a face as though she was horrified by the idea.

"Elphie!" protested Galinda in a mock affronted tone. "Don't you know that _everyone_ likes **me**?"

"I'm not 'everyone', dear _Gaia_, sometimes I wonder if I'm anyone at all."

"Everyone is someone, how can someone not be anyone?"

"It's a mystery."

"What's a mystery is how someone who is only one quarter Quadling and was raised one hundred percent Munchkinlander can be so," Galinda made a gesture that Elphaba thought was meant to emphasise the Gillikinese girl's distaste for the next word. "Philosophical."

"What is a mystery to me is how someone who is one hundred percent Gillikinese can be so," Elphaba mimicked Galinda's gesture in an exaggerated fashion. "Thoughtful."

"I don't believe I shall speak to you any longer, if all you are going to do is make fun of me!"

"Good, I'd like to go to sleep now," replied Elphaba, slipping under her blankets and rolling onto her side with her back to Galinda. "Put the light out when you've finished thinking, or not thinking, whatever it is you were doing."

"Why I…you…oh fine!"

Defeated, the Gillikinese girl put the light out and slid under her blankets.

"Elphie?"

"Yes, Galinda?"

"Do I really _snore_?"

* * *

It went without saying that Elphaba would be awake before Galinda, she nearly always was after all, but to her surprise the blonde girl managed to rouse herself in plenty of time to get ready before their class was scheduled. Of course, by that time, Elphaba had already dressed, gone downstairs for breakfast, and finished some of her homework. The green girl sat on their sofa reading while Galinda, unusually quietly, got dressed and ready for the day. After a great deal of thought the Gillikinese girl decided to wear one of her older dresses for the class then change for lunch, even if it made her a little late she knew her friends would understand she didn't want to get one of her good dresses dirty if the class turned out to be messy.

"Good morning, Elphie," said Galinda, yawning as she walked into the sitting room. "Do I need any books or anything for Sorcery class?"

"Madame hasn't tested me on the theory so far but you might want to make notes just in case she expects us to know it."

Of course Elphaba could have offered a copy of her own notes but she had the vague notion that she might encourage Galinda towards better study habits in this one class at least. Galinda nodded sleepily and went back to fetch her writing materials.

"You might want to go and get some breakfast before we start," suggested Elphaba. "I don't know if it's just me but using magic always makes me hungry and it's worse if I don't eat beforehand."

"I **never** eat breakfast on Sixth Day and Rest Day, you know that!"

"Shockingly, Galinda, I do not keep track of your dietary habits. Don't say I didn't warn you. When you're awake we'll go upstairs to the Sorcery classroom. I hope you're feeling like some exercise, it's at the top of the North Tower."

"Why so far," Galinda paused to yawn again. "From the other classrooms?"

"To minimise the damage should a Sorcery student make any unfortunate mistakes," replied Elphaba. "Apparently I am not the first to have problems controlling my powers, though according to Madame I am the one who has been the most hopeless at learning the Basic Principles of Sorcery."

"I can always tell when you quoting her," remarked Galinda. "You sound very Gillikinese when you do it."

"You must be awake after all, if you can notice something like that. Shall we go then?"

"But the class doesn't, _technically_, start for another half an hour!" protested Galinda.

"If we leave now you'll have time to come back and mess about with your hair before lunch."

"Well when you put it like that, what are we waiting for? Should I bring my training wand?"

"Not this time, Madame has a whole collection of practice wands and I think she'd want you to start with one of those – best to leave the training wand until she gets back."

"The first thing Madame Morrible taught me, it's right at the beginning of the book, is just using a wand to make a little shower of colour – sort of like sparks but it's magic made visible. All you do is you hold the wand and move it like this," explained Elphaba, demonstrating the necessary hand movement without holding a practice wand herself.

"Like this?" said Galinda, swishing the wand in a half-hearted fashion.

"No, a loose wrist motion first," corrected Elphaba, demonstrating it again. "Then a stronger one on the return movement."

Frowning in concentration Galinda attempted the movement again, with no result.

"No," said Elphaba, demonstrating yet again. "_Swish_ forwards, then _flick_ backwards. Swish, flick, swish, flick. It's sort of like that thing you do with your hair."

"I would never do anything that ungraceful with my hair!"

"You know what I mean, now try it."

"Oh fine," said Galinda sulkily, pretending to be too offended to admit out loud that the visualisation of 'like that thing you do with your hair' was actually helpful – though not helpful enough for her to get it right.

"Elphie, why don't you just **show** me how to do this with an actual practice wand?"

"That's really not a good idea, Galinda."

"Please? Just once?"

"Just once," agreed Elphaba, with a sigh at how easy it was to let Galinda get her own way. She picked up one of the practice wands and cautioned Galinda: "Watch closely, I am only going to do this **once**. And stand over there."

With a puzzled expression Galinda walked to the other side of the classroom, standing in a spot where she could still see Elphaba's hand. She had just enough time to note the exact wrist movement Elphaba made before the wand _exploded_ in a shower of green, black, and silver 'sparks' – covering a good portion of the classroom in woodchips.

"And **that** is one of the main reasons why I thought it was a terrible idea for Madame to assign me to give you your first lesson," said Elphaba, perching on a nearby desk, after sweeping away the fragments of practice wand. "I hope you at least got something out of it? Galinda?"

"Elphaba?"

"Are you alright, Galinda?"

"Yes," said the blonde girl, shaking her head for a moment. "I was just startled, you might have warned me!"

"You were being very adamant that you wanted a demonstration, it seemed like it might be quicker than explaining that one of those 'Basic Principles' I haven't mastered yet was the very first lesson given to every student of Magic."

"You mean that happens every time you try to," Galinda made a vague approximation of the movement with her own practice wand.

"Every single time since I started studying with Madame Morrible," admitted Elphaba. "At the moment she has me studying a lot of theory, for when I finally manage to learn practical control, and exercises to help with the control. She assures me that it can be a lengthy process. But enough about me, try the wand again."

"What if I…"

"Make it explode?"

"Yes!"

"You'll be able to tell, just remember to shut your eyes and duck."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

"Practice," replied Elphaba with a laugh. "You wouldn't believe how many of those Madame let me explode before she finally decided on theory only classes. Now stop stalling and show that silly old wand who is in charge."

Holding the wand out in front of her as though it might explode before she even did anything Galinda closed her eyes, recalling the exact hand movement Elphaba had made, and did her best to copy.

"You did it!" exclaimed Elphaba, sounding as excited as if she had achieved the feat herself.

"I did?"

"Yes, now try it with your eyes _open_, silly girl!"

"I did it!" shrieked Galinda, when she saw the pink and silver 'sparks' that flew out of the wand when she made the correct movement again.

"See? I told you that you could do it!"

"Do you ever get tired of being right?" wondered Galinda, pulling a face at Elphaba.

"It doesn't happen as often as it might seem to you. Now do that a few more times and then we'll move onto the next exercise in this chapter."

"What is the next exercise?" asked Galinda, as she excitedly skipped around the room, leaving a trail of pink and silver behind her.

"If you don't calm down I'll use my substitute teacher's prerogative and make it 'Galinda sitting still and being quiet for five minutes'!"

"Sorry, Elphie!" trilled Galinda, pulling out a chair and sitting down quietly. "So, what next?"

"Read this section in the book about visualisation," said Elphaba, handing Galinda the basic sorcery book open to the correct page. "You see basic 'spells' are nothing more than making a picture in your mind and directing magic to make it happen. It's only when you get need a more complicated result that an actual spell is required. The first exercise is using the wand to light a candle, I will **not** be demonstrating this one - no matter how much you pout."

"Wand goes 'boom'?" teased Galinda as she started reading without any further prompting.

"Not in that case, no," disagreed Elphaba. "One less desk in here than there used to be though and Madame very prudently decided I should stay away from the fire spells for the foreseeable future."

"Oh I see," said Galinda, quietly going back to her reading while Elphaba went to a store cupboard and took out a candle then placed it on the desk in front of her roommate.

"When you're ready then," murmured Elphaba, guessing when Galinda was near the end of the reading she'd been given.

"Ready," said Galinda attentively.

"Good. For this spell you need to imagine the candle being lit then make this movement with the wand," explained Elphaba, once again demonstrating without an actual wand in her hand.

"One more time?" requested Galinda, Elphaba nodded and showed her the movement again.

It took her several tries to get the hang of visualising the candle being lit while making the correct wand movement at the same time but Galinda, encouraged by her easy success with the first exercise, persevered until finally the candle flickered to life – for a few seconds.

"I did it…wait, what happened?"

"You have to hold the image in your mind until after the wand movement is completed," explained Elphaba. "If you let it go too soon the spell of the wand movement doesn't lock in place. Try it again, make the last motion of the wand sharper this time so it's more obvious to you when the movement stops – and, for Oz sake, Galinda, keep your eyes _open_. There's not much use for a Sorceress who can't cast a spell with her eyes open now is there?"

Galinda hadn't realised she was closing her eyes until Elphaba pointed it out so she concentrated on keeping them open, unfortunately this hampered her ability to make an image in her mind.

"Elphie, how am I supposed to visualise with my eyes open?" she complained, after failing to make the candle wick ignite again even for a few moments.

"I don't know," admitted Elphaba. "I just sort of…do it. Obviously I can't demonstrate that...but maybe I can put it into terms that will make sense to you, let me just think about it for a minute."

"This is going to involve you making fun of me in some way, isn't it?" said Galinda suspiciously.

"Whatever gives you that idea, my sweet?"

"Experience!"

"I shall _try_ very hard to take the example I am about to use as seriously as you do," promised Elphaba with a poorly concealed smile.

"As long as you are at least _trying_," conceded Galinda. "Particularly if you really think it will help me learn how to do this and aren't just making fun of me."

"What you need to do is have an image in your mind while also thinking about what you're doing with the wand."

"I understood that much," said Galinda irritably, thinking that Elphaba was treating her like she was stupid.

"Hush, I was just making sure we were looking at this the same way before I explained my example," chided Elphaba. "Using one of your favourite subjects, as much as it pains me to admit taking any notice whatsoever of your preoccupation with fashion!"

"You've lost me," said Galinda, frowning in concentration. "What do magic and fashion have to do with each other, apart from using one to change the other?"

"Having lived with you for this long I couldn't help but noticed that you have a method of getting ready to go anywhere," began Elphaba. "first you choose a dress then you put it somewhere, usually on my bed, while you pick out accessories and decide what colours to use on your face, yes?"

"It's much more interesting than you make it sound but yes that is my method if you like to use such a dreary word for it."

"how do you know, without looking back at the dress or putting it on, what accessories and colours will look good with it?"

"Well I just imagine how I look wearing the dress then…ooh I concentrate on what the dress looks like and whatever accessory I'm holding! Elphie, you're a genius!"

"Yes, I am," agreed Elphaba wryly. Elphaba's dry tone went unnoticed as Galinda successfully made the candle light, and stay lit, then let out a joyful shriek at her success.

"Look, Elphie! I did it!"

"Are you going to get this loudly excited every time you get a spell right? That could get very tiring for both of us."

"At least until I get used to being good at it!" decided Galinda. "It's so much easier than I expected. So far, that is, but I didn't expect to be able to do **anything** straight away!"

"If you applied half as much attention to your homework you'd probably find that easier as well," suggested Elphaba sensibly.

"But homework is so boring, this is _nearly _as interesting as fashion!"

"You didn't seem bored yesterday afternoon when we were studying."

"That's because you make it sound so much more interesting than all of our dreary old Professors do!" insisted Galinda stubbornly. "I don't think they even **try**. Of course I would like it even better if you told me the answers instead of making me think…"

"Sorry, my sweet, I refuse to do your thinking for you even though I am always happy to offer _suggestions_," replied Elphaba with a chuckle at the obviousness of Galinda's last remark. "Now are we discussing homework or learning sorcery?"

"Sorcery please, Elphie. What are we doing next?"

"According to the book you should practice that spell until you can do it every time, with two candles, but I know how short your attention span is so just do that a few more times and then we'll try the next exercise. I warn you now though that Madame Morrible won't care how bored you are when she's making you do the same thing over and over again. In fact if you so much as hint to her that you're bored, not that I ever did but I know this is how it would be, she'd take it to mean you weren't **serious **about learning and get very sarcastic about it."

"Now that you've warned I'll try very hard to pay attention when Madame is teaching!" promised Galinda.

When the University's clock struck the hour Galinda was surprised to find they'd been in the classroom for nearly two hours already.

"Have we really been in here for so long?" she exclaimed, losing her concentration and causing the candle flames to splutter and die. "It hasn't felt like any time at all!"

"Probably because you weren't counting the minutes until you could leave," remarked Elphaba, only half joking. "Or perhaps it was the fact you've actually been _thinking_ and paying attention?"

"You're making fun of me **again**," complained Galinda. "Doesn't being friends mean you don't do that?"

"Nice try, Galinda, but I've heard the way you Gillikinese girls talk about your friends behind their backs!"

"Yes but I always thought that Munchkinlanders were too…polite to do that!"

"You were going to say 'boring' weren't you?"

"Well…yes," admitted Galinda, hastening to add. "But only because it's true."

"Just like it's true that all Gillikinese are stuck-up and shallow?"

"We are not **all** like that!" protested Galinda, letting out an 'ooh' of realisation as she caught Elphaba's meaning.

"And not all Munchkinlanders are boring. I can see why people would think so though, and I know the Gillikinese generally find our old-fashioned formalities too dreary for words. Now are you ready to try one more exercise before lunch?"

"Yes, as long as I'll still have time to get changed."

"If you pick it up as quickly as you did the first two I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to throw your clothes all over _my_ bed, just like you do every week. This one is Basic Levitation, used on very light objects like a quill pen or sheet of paper. This is the wand motion," explained Elphaba, demonstrating with her hand as before. "You see how it's a sort of curved zigzag movement, through the wrist?"

"Sort of…how do I know when I've finished the movement?"

"Watch again. Twist right, left, right, left. On the last left you turn your wrist all the way so the palm of your hand is facing up. See?"

"I think so," said Galinda distractedly as she tried out the movement several times, until it felt right. "How was that?"

"Exactly what you just did. Now do that and at the same time concentrate on the thing you want to levitate but keep the wand work gentle – the more force you use in the movement the more quickly whatever you're working with is going to take off."

Galinda nodded and carefully placed a page from her notebook on the desk then attempted the spell.

"You have to put some effort into it," said Elphaba with a laugh. "Or it won't go _anywhere_. Don't worry too much about it for the moment, it's only a piece of paper so nothing terrible will happen if you send it flying up in the air."

"How do I get it back down?" said Galinda, a few minutes later, tilting her head backwards to look at the paper hovering near the high ceiling.

"It's only Basic Levitation, it'll come down by itself," explained Elphaba. "That's why it's only used on very light objects. If you really want to get it down before it comes down by itself you can reverse the original wand movement – you twist left, right, left, right then finish by turning your wrist into the same position as before."

"Oh!" yelped Galinda, as she cast the reversal a little too enthusiastically and the paper zoomed down from the ceiling. "I did it!"

"Now try Levitating something else," instructed Elphaba. "Then you can go to lunch."

"Do you think Madame would mind if I borrowed one of these practice wands from the classroom?" asked Galinda, while Elphaba put the book and other things away at the end of their class.

"So you can show off to your friends at lunch?" Elphaba teased her gently. "I don't really know. Obviously she didn't want me practicing outside the classroom but your case is different. I doubt she'd approve of the kind of practice that involves an audience at luncheon though I don't suppose you intend to tell her."

"They really want to know what I've been learning about," said Galinda pathetically.

"I'm not doing anything that means I have to answer 'yes' when Madame asks if I gave you permission to take a practice wand out of the room," said Elphaba firmly. "But I didn't count them when I came in so if one were to go missing after you put yours away for the day…"

"Thank you, Elphie!" exclaimed Galinda, startling her friend by enveloping the taller girl in an enthusiastic hug.

"You really don't need to get so excited about it," protested Elphaba, patting Galinda's back awkwardly. "It's only a practice wand, if you put it back today Madame won't even know you had it."

"I could just use my training wand!" realised Galinda, showing a small amount of sensitivity and backing out of Elphaba's personal space. "Madame never said I couldn't, when she gave it to me."

"As long as you don't try anything you haven't learned how to do properly," cautioned Elphaba. "That goes for both wands."

"I'm sure my friends will understand that magic is very serious," replied Galinda, looking genuinely surprised when Elphaba chuckled. "What?"

"Sorry – the idea of your friends taking anything, that is _actually _serious, seriously."

"We take lots of serious things seriously!"

"I was referring to things the rest of the country might consider serious."

"Yes, well that is why _they_ are much less interesting than we are," Galinda sighed mournfully then giggled when Elphaba pulled a face at her. "Maybe I won't take a wand with me at all, we're going shopping after lunch and it would be awkward to carry."

"And clash horribly with your shoes, I suppose?" remarked Elphaba, sounding amused as she often did when speaking to Galinda.

"Well now that you mention it these wands are quite…bland," pondered Galinda. "If I ever get to be a proper Sorceress I shall have a much nicer one."

"I don't doubt it, garishly sparkly and nearly as tall as you no doubt."

"Honestly I wonder why I bother talking to you sometimes, Elphaba!"

"So do I," agreed the green girl immediately. "Wonder why you talk to me, that is."

"I like you, which is as much a surprise to me as it is to you I can assure you."

"Trust me, dear Galinda, no one could possibly be as surprised as I was and am," replied Elphaba. "Though I don't doubt you and your friends, your other friends, aren't far behind in your disbelief. You should go or you'll be late and your friends will give me dark looks while making supposedly non-specific comments about 'people ruining other people's fun' next time they see me."

"Yes," said Galinda after considering it for a moment. "They probably would do that. Well enjoy your afternoon, as much as possible, and I'll see you in our room this evening."

Galinda surprised Elphaba with a parting hug then skipped out of the classroom, humming cheerfully.

After lunch Elphaba spent the afternoon in one of the Music classrooms, studying for the upcoming Politics and Law test while Nessarose had a lesson in playing the Harp, then having begged some food from the kitchen staff and eaten in an out of the way corner she went back to the suite.

* * *

Before she reached the door Elphaba heard the unmistakable sound of Galinda and at least four of her friends talking and laughing in the sitting room. She'd assumed she would have the rooms to herself, because Galinda and her friends always went out on Sixth Day night, but she guessed they must still be going through the lengthy process of getting ready. Ordinarily, before ht night at the Oz Dust Ballroom, she would go to the library until she was sure they were gone but now she hesitated; on the one hand she didn't want to test her new friendship with Galinda by going into the room as though she expected to be acknowledged but on the other hand she still wasn't sure she believed the Gillikinese girl _really_ wanted to be friends with her and she knew that walking into the room full of Galinda's **other** friends would give her proof one way or another.

The girls all stopped speaking mid-sentence when Galinda's roommate opened the door and walked into the suite. Galinda was in the bedroom and all of them, including Elphaba who hadn't expected that, stayed silent and simply looked at each other for a moment.

"Good evening, ladies," said Elphaba finally, according them the polite nod that was all the acknowledgement her rank required she offer them, then she walked around the stunned group of girls and into the bedroom without waiting for any reply or lack thereof.

"Elphie!" squealed Galinda, emerging from the wardrobe. "There you are, at last!"

There were no other girls in the bedroom but the door was open and the girls in the sitting room could hear every word.

"Galinda, I wish you wouldn't use that ridiculous nickname!" protested Elphaba, changing her mind about flopping down on her bed when she saw it was covered in Galinda's clothes. "And I see you still haven't learned the difference between my bed and yours."

"Never mind all that, this is important! Fiyero is going to be here in half an hour and I can't find my blue dress!"

"Oh Oz," muttered Elphaba. "Didn't we go through this one yesterday?"

"I never actually **found** my blue dress," complained Galinda. "And anyway that was my blue dinner dress, now I'm looking for my blue **dancing** dress!"

"You **still** have _five_ blue dresses and I still can't tell them apart," explained Elphaba patiently.

"Well have you **seen** any of them?"

"Only the one with some sort of gold coloured trim on it – you shoved it under the bed on the occasion we discussed earlier, because it looked too purple for your liking."

"Oh no and that was the one I wanted to wear tonight!"

"Of course it was," Elphaba sighed, looking back at her bed just in case some space had mysteriously appeared where she might sit down. "You'll just have to wear something else I suppose."

"We spent hours coordinating!" protested Galinda. "I can't just change it now."

"So wear a different blue dress."

"None of those are _dancing_ dresses, and I don't know what colour Fiyero is wearing, you saw what happened last time I didn't ask him – he wore **red** when I was wearing **pink**."

"I'm amazed your relationship has survived such a trial," remarked Elphaba in a sort of amused sarcastic tone.

"That is not helpful, Elphaba!"

"I was not trying to be helpful, Galinda. For one thing it is difficult to help find something when one doesn't know what one is supposed to be _looking_ for!"

"Oh, my red dancing dress I think."

"What happened to 'we spent hours coordinating'?"

"It doesn't clash with what any of the other ladies I am coordinating with are wearing and it's not likely to clash with whatever Fiyero wears – even if he wears red again because it's not the same shade but it's not so different that it would look odd."

"Now I'm sure you know what I'm going to say next…"

"I have **eight** red dresses and you have no idea which of them is a dancing dress?"

"Well done, and..."

"The one I'm looking for looks a lot like the pink dress I wore to the Oz Dust Ballroom last week but the straps are wider and it has a laced back."

"I don't know how you tell all of these dresses apart," said Elphaba, shaking her head as she examined the pile of dresses on her bed. "Isn't it in the wardrobe?"

"I didn't see it while I was looking for my blue dress," grumbled Galinda. "And I use the Gillikinese Guide to Fashion, _obviously_, I keep it on my bedside table and Momsie sends me the amendments as they occur in Gillikin proper."

"I might have guessed the one book you ever enjoy reading was about clothes. Try what we laughingly refer to as my side of the wardrobe," suggested Elphaba, as she started rifling through the dresses on her bed. "In case it got misplaced. But before you do that you might like to tell your friends that I'm not going to turn them all into frogs if they _speak_ while I'm in the same set of rooms."

"I didn't even notice they'd stopped but I'm sure my friends were just concerned with my little fashion mishap and are now going to go back to whatever it was they were talking about."

Galinda's tone suggested quite strongly that anyone who wished to remain her friend had better do exactly as she said. Sure enough the girls immediately picked up the discussion they'd been having before Elphaba came in as though they had never stopped speaking.

"Found it!" exclaimed Galinda, finding her red dress between two of Elphaba's uniforms. "I can't imagine how it got here but never mind now I can finish getting ready! I just need my red shoes…"

"Six pairs," observed Elphaba, risking Galinda's wrath by picking up several dresses and rehanging them. "Is there some kind of method to the madness that is your wardrobe?"

"No, I usually just put everything in there, it's not like my clothes are **books** you know! I'm looking for the pair of shoes with two inch heels and silver bows on the end."

"That pair is under **my** bed, Oz knows _why -_ I certainly don't, I saw them there last week when I dropped something."

"Thank you! Would you mind…?"

"**You **put them there, **you** get them out," said Elphaba gently but firmly refusing Galinda's unspoken request.

"Fine," said Galinda with a pout. "But only because I haven't gotten changed yet!"

"If it makes you feel better to think that," replied Elphaba as she continued ferrying Galinda's clothes back to the wardrobe. In the past she had waited until the blonde girl left but since Galinda didn't appear to mind she continued while Galinda went into the bathroom to change her clothes.

"Elphie, have you seen my hairbrush?"

Elphaba had just sat down on her newly emptied bed when she heard Galinda call out from the bathroom.

"Bedside table," she called back as she opened her book and settled in to read.

"Yours or mine?"

"Yours!"

"Thank you!"

Galinda ran out of the bathroom, grabbed the brush, and vanished back in without a word. Once her hair and makeup were done she came back into the bedroom, noting with satisfaction that her friends were still talking in the sitting room as though Elphaba wasn't there, and started looking around for her purse. After one of the rejected bags narrowly missed Elphaba the green girl put her book down with a longsuffering sigh.

"What are you looking for **now**?"

"My red and silver purse!"

"You know if you were just a little more organised…"

"Elphaba, I'm going to be **late**!"

"My bedside drawers, third one down, you stuffed it in there three weeks ago when the room monitor came in just after you crept in late."

"Oh now I remember! That's how my shoes ended up under your bed too."

"I'm so glad we were able to solve that little mystery for you."

"You really don't care do you?"

"Not one little bit."

"And you wonder why people think you're strange."

"I highly doubt it has anything to do with my disinterest in your fashion dilemmas."

"I'm sure it does not help," sniffed Galinda as she rummaged through her jewellery box.

"The earrings you wore with that dress last time were in the drawer with your purse."

"Thank you! Now I'm ready and just in time too!"

"Mere words cannot convey how thrilled I am," said Elphaba dryly, without looking up from her book. "Try to be home **before **curfew this time, I really don't enjoy having your accessories thrown at me in the middle of the night."

"I'll do my very best!" promised Galinda cheerfully and completely unrepentantly.

"If your friend gets you drunk again, I'm letting you sleep on the bathroom floor," warned Elphaba.

"Elphaba! That was not his fault and you know it."

"Then it was your own, try to use your brains this time," suggested her roommate, eliciting an irritated sigh from Galinda in response.

"Have you quite finished acting like an older sister?" she said, doing her best to mimic Elphaba's tone from the night before.

"Yes, I think so. I hope you have fun."

"Thank you, you too with your…reading."

Galinda's tone made it clear that she didn't see the fun in reading but Elphaba appreciated the sentiment. She waited until the Gillikinese girls had left the suite, on their way to meet Fiyero downstairs, then walked over to Galinda's side of the room and curiously picked up the blonde girl's fashion book – she still had no interest in the subject but thought it might make **her** life easier if she had some idea which dress Galinda might be talking about on any given occasion.


End file.
